Traveling Souls
by LoveConquers
Summary: It started out as a simple mission; little did they know it would turn into a journey of discovery for them all. BS. Complete!
1. Default Chapter

Traveling Souls

Disclaimer: Not mine! Mutant X belongs to Tribune and Marvel.

Summary: It started out as a simple mission; little did they know it would turn into a journey of discovery for them all. BS.

Rating: PG

A/N: Hello! I'm back with a new story. :) Since almost all of my stories focus on season three, I was challenged to write a season one or two story, so came up with this idea while re-watching season two. It takes place after episode 221, but before the events of 222. I'm not used to writing Adam or Emma, so that will be a new challenge for me! This story will be going back to a more traditional "adventure with a mission" type of plot, as my challenge is more with the characters this time. This is still a work in progress and my schedule is very busy right now, so I'm afraid I won't be able to update as often as I'd like to, but will still update at least once a week. This story also pairs with my new music video, Beautiful Disaster, which can be found on my little site. So I hope you stay with me through this new story, and join me on a journey of discovery; of the past and of the future, of life, of love, and of home. Thank you!

Traveling Souls—Chapter One

_Prelude:_

_Every day was nothingness. Time moved outside, but for him, it had no meaning. Though it was never-ending darkness, he could still hear the voices. Everyday, like clockwork, they chattered dimly in his subconscious as they passed by. Unaware of him, unaware of the screaming so loud in his head. Everyday. Unaware. And then something changed. A kind soul began to talk to him through the nothingness. The words weren't always there, but the meaning of his voice was, and he found a friend. Time passed; it might have been years, he didn't know, and he clung to that voice. It kept him sane when the screaming became too much. And one day, when the voice dropped in tone, something changed. The thick clear lid of his glass coffin was lifted and through the hazy fog, he realized he was finally free. Alarms blared around him as hands tugged, and limbs long unused protested as he was bodily lifted. He felt fresh air rushing against him for the first time in so many years. Warmth. Warmth flooded heavy against him, and he went from elation to fear when he cracked open bleary eyes to see it was colored bright red. Blood, hot and thick, coated his fingers. Startled, his head lolled up and around to make eye contact. Piercing brown eyes met tired, hooded ones as the man who held him suddenly let go. He slammed to the floor, shrinking back as the man dropped beside him, gasping and choking. He watched as bloodied lips pushed together, shuddering as he recognized the voice. His knees bent, and he was suddenly kneeling over the man, clutching his fingers, barely feeling the coolness of the disk pressed into his shaking palm. _

_"Where am I?" He didn't recognize the rasping quality of his own voice. _

_"You must f-find Adam Kane." The man shuddered and died in his arms, and the voice of his friend was stilled. _

_He was freed, and he was alone. _

_Alarms continued to blare around him as agents circled warily around. Brown eyes lifted, narrowing, hands rising as time came rushing back, and he remembered his own power. _

_He would never be podded again._

She loved the night. The smell of spring was strong on the evening breeze, and Shalimar smiled as she slipped unheard back into Sanctuary. Brennan had caught her a few months ago on one of her nightly prowls, but she was more careful now, more aware. No one had followed her this evening. She grinned, sliding her bedroom door open and breathing in the comfort of her home. She was tired, but a good tired, and she yawned with contentment as she kicked off her jeans and sat on the bed. A quick pause to loosen restrictive clothing, and she lay flat on her back, arms outspread, staring up at the ceiling, reliving the thrill of the spring hunt. Eyes grew heavy, lids finally drifting shut as night continued to pass. They were wrenched open hours later. Brennan was screaming. That was all Shalimar could think as she was ripped from sleep, on her feet and through her door before her mind could catch up with her body. Another muffled cry and she was wide awake, heart pounding as she ran to his room, the terror in his voice chilling her, shocking her as she tore open his door to see him flailing under his twisted comforter. She came to an abrupt stop, hands on her knees to catch her breath, blinking the last tendrils of sleep from her eyes as she willed her slamming heart to settle back down in her chest.

He was having a nightmare.

She shook her head, looking back up at him as he continued to whimper. "Brennan."

His fists were clenched, muscular legs straining in vain to get free from the confines of his bedding, back tensely arched as he fought hard.

"Brennan." She tried again, crossing his room to kneel beside his bed. She ran a hand down his flushed cheek, startled to hear her name whispered between his clamped teeth, his nostrils flaring as breath strained in and out in harsh gasps.

_"Shal--"_

"Brennan." He refused to wake up, cries turning more desperate as he squirmed against her touch. Her own sleep muddled brain felt his terror, and she swallowed hard, surging up from her knees and capturing his tossing head between two firm hands. "Brennan, I'm here."

_"Sha-a-alimar!"_

"Brennan, wake up!" She flinched as one of his hands suddenly clamped over her wrist with bruising strength. A vein stood out in stark boldness in his neck, eyes darting wildly from under closed lids as his nightmare refused to break. Her heart broke at the whimpered sobs ripped from his ragged throat, and she grasped his shoulders, giving him a firm shake. "Brennan, wake up, I'm here." She fought against him as he lunged forward. "Brennan, please."

_"Shalimar—" _

"I'm here." Her voice quivered, caught up in his panic.

"Shal." His breath caught in his throat, fingers loosening on her wrist as his eyes finally opened, confused and unfocused. She smiled encouragingly as his eyes found hers in the darkness, nodding as he searched her gaze, tension leaving as he slumped against her in relief. Without thought, her arms rose up and circled around him, fingers running soothingly along his back as he shuddered, nose pressed into her shoulder. They were silent, breathing loudly in the darkness. She wasn't used to holding him like this, and she shifted against him, suddenly aware of how pleasant a feeling it was. Against her own volition, her fingers found their way into the spiky hair at the base of his neck, curling slightly, marveling at how soft it felt. She always thought the texture would somehow be rougher. He sniffed, and she forced her fingers to stop moving.

"You died." His voice was a harsh whisper, throat raspy from screaming. "You left me."

"I didn't leave, Brennan, I'm right here." _And in your arms._ She quickly pushed the thought aside, suddenly painfully aware she was still wearing the t-shirt from her hunt. _Nothing but a t-shirt and underwear_, she self-consciously added, _a t-shirt that even now was riding high up her thighs…_ She awkwardly cleared her throat.

"No," he adamantly shook his head, still lost in his dream. "You died, Shal." His chest swelled as he swallowed a large gulp of air. She melted, tension forgotten as she pulled him a little closer. She had had enough nightmares of her own to understand their lingering terror.

"It's ok," She soothed into his ear. "I'm right here."

His face turned toward hers, stubble grazing her neck as his nose left her shoulder and followed the line of her jaw. He blinked, pulling back slightly. "Sorry." His eyes were adverted, and she sensed his embarrassment.

"Brennan," She turned his chin up, voice trailing away as she saw the naked pain in his eyes. For her. _Oh God._ Her heart rate doubled. _What was wrong with her?_ She couldn't look away. He stared back, adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed tightly. His fingers rose and pressed against her cheeks, running down them with gentle caresses over and over until her eyes fell shut.

And then his fingers fell away.

She whimpered lowly at the loss of touch. "Brennan?" She opened her eyes to see him studying her in the darkness.

"I'm sorry I woke you, Shal." He pulled back, and she shivered as cold air rushed against her, immediately missing the solidness of his chest. She refused to think why.

"You ok?"

"Yeah." He sighed heavily, leaning back against his headboard, hands scrubbing his face.

"Do you want to talk about it?" The question hung thickly in the air. She couldn't drag her eyes away from his bare chest, following a bead of sweat as it ran down his skin and disappeared under the blanket drawn around his waist.

"Not really."

Her eyes darted back to his face as his hands fell limply at his sides. "Ok." She dropped her gaze, unable to think of what to say next.

Silence again swelled between them, and she tensed slightly when in the darkness, she suddenly felt his hand land lightly on her bare thigh.

"Thanks."

She nodded, forgetting he couldn't really see her, sucking in a quiet breath when his fingers started to fiddle with the hem of her shirt.

"Shal?"

"Yeah?" She hated how breathy she sounded.

"What are you wearing?" He seemed almost perplexed.

"Oh." _Oh._ She clamped her legs together, tugging the shirt down as far as it would go. "I ah, nothing." She reddened. "I mean—"

He chuckled softly, hooded eyes following the movement of her lips. "You were out hunting earlier, weren't you?" It wasn't an accusation, just an observation.

She sighed, steeling herself for an argument.

His fingers found her chin, lifting it slightly. "I won't tell anyone."

Surprised, a quick puff of air left her, and he shrugged in response. He looked as exhausted as she felt, hair pressed flat against the right side of his head. She reached out, smoothing it down. "Thanks."

He nodded at her husky whisper, fingers sliding away from her chin and down to cup the back of her neck, watching her face. Unnerved, she tried to look casual, but her heart pounded, and he smiled slightly as he felt it slam in her throat beneath his fingers. "Do you think you'll be able to get back to sleep?"

She forced herself to focus. "I, ah—" _Shouldn't__ she be asking him that question?_ She shook her head as his fingers tightened slightly in concern. "Yeah."

"Good."

His hand released her, and she licked her lips. "How about you?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Good." She stared back at him. "Well, I-I suppose I should get back to my own room then." She stood, unable to break eye contact as she slowly backed out of his room. She turned to leave, suddenly realizing her t-shirt wasn't quite long enough to cover up her underwear from the back. She cringed, quickly shutting the door and scampering back to her own room. For the second time that night, she found herself sprawled across her bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to immediately fall asleep. The image of him staring back at her burned into her eyelids until she finally turned onto her side, pulling the covers over her head. Thinking of Brennan in this way was disastrous, she knew it from experience, but there were times like tonight, when he could also be so beautiful, her heart ached. Restlessly, she turned onto her other side, bunching her pillow under her head, shivering. Her room felt strangely cold and empty now. She refused to think why.

The sound of gentle knocking hours later woke him up. Brennan groaned, pushing himself against his pillow, making a face at the dryness of his mouth. "Come in," he muttered, smacking his lips in distaste. He desperately needed a drink.

"You called?" Emma's bright head appeared around his door, smiling at his confusion. She held up a glass of water.

"How did you—" Brennan shook his head. "Never mind."

Emma laughed as she entered the room, handing him the glass and perching on a nearby chair. "Don't worry, I wasn't reading you. You were projecting your thirst so loudly; I couldn't help but feel it as I walked by."

"Thanks, Emma." Brennan drank greedily.

Emma watched him for a moment. "You were projecting something else quite loudly last night as well."

His eyes flickered over to her. "I'm fine."

"Uh-huh." She pressed her lips together, standing up. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here, ok?"

She unwittingly echoed Shalimar's words from last night. _I'm here_. Brennan froze, remembering all over again the bitter memory of her dying in his arms. _It was just a dream._ Holding her in his arms had been very real. He groaned, forcibly bringing his chain of thought back to safer ground. He nodded back at Emma as she watched him closely. "Yeah."

She smiled softly in understanding, turning to leave.

"Hey, Emma?"

She didn't miss a beat. "You're welcome Brennan." She grinned over her shoulder as she disappeared out the door.

He rolled his eyes, grinning back.

Two hours later, Adam stood over Brennan and Shalimar with a disapproving frown, hands propped against his hips. Jesse smirked as he watched them both get beaten by a simulation in the dojo for the third time in a row. Shalimar muttered under her breath, kicking out at the now invisible attacker as Brennan groaned from the floor.

"Maybe we should try this again later, Adam." Emma piped up from her seat on the stairs.

"Absolutely not," Adam narrowed his eyes as Shalimar held out a hand to help Brennan stand. "We never know when or where surprise attacks may come, we need to be prepared at all times." He watched as they exchanged quick smiles. "Or in all situations," He murmured under his breath, arms crossing tightly. Emma shot him an appraising glance, but he ignored her.

Brennan let go of Shalimar's hand, watching as she circled around him, settling into a defensive crouch across the room. He dropped his own body into position, hands rising even as Adam barked out another simulation to the computer. Nameless suitcoats immediately surrounded them, and he sparred mindlessly, eyes caught up in watching Shalimar as she seamlessly sprang over three suits in a graceful back flip, landing on a beam above. She grinned down at them as they whirled around in confusion, lithe muscles bent in a ready squat, chest rising and falling as she took aim. Mesmerized, Brennan almost missed the quarterstaff heading straight for his head, dunking just in time with a startled exclamation, feeling the force of the blow in the wind that rushed past him. He frowned, eyes snapping back to the attacker, taking him out with a left undercut that sent the man flying onto his back. Another attacker suddenly appeared behind him, but he was already looking up again, strangely fascinated by the stray strands of hair that clung around Shalimar's slender throat in damp tangles. _He wanted to brush them away, feel her silky skin against his knuckles, her racing pulse under his fingers… _Faintly, he heard her gasp his name even as she flew through the air, straight at him, tackling him to the floor before he could blink.

"Careful," She panted at him with a quick grin, her small weight pressing against his chest. His breath caught in his throat at the warm pressure, and he stared dumbly up at her as she casually lifted a fist, backhanding an attacker taking aim behind her. He opened his mouth to force out a witty retort, but she was already gone, and he shook his head at his own stupidity. _What was wrong with him?_ He sprang back to his feet, lashing out at another charcoal-gray suit that charged toward him, easily knocking him down. Two more appeared in his place.

"Adam," Brennan gritted in frustration, dropping low to the ground, bracing his hands on the floor as he swept their legs out from under them. "That would never happ—" He grunted as a high-aimed kick hit the back of his head, staggering forward. Shalimar dropped beside him and caught him.

"You ok?" She stumbled slightly under his weight.

"Yeah," Brennan quickly righted himself, hands tightening slightly at her waist where they had landed, staring down into her eyes. Something flashed between them, a hint of remembrance, and they froze. Longing and then fear, emotions so quick he barely caught them, flashed in her eyes, and he pulled his hands back in slight confusion as she pushed him away. Her eyes dropped then lifted back to his, blatantly casual, and he frowned, conflicted.

"Simulation off!" Adam's voice roared around them, and he glanced up, startled to see half a dozen attackers shimmer and disappear from view, seconds away from striking distance. He swallowed. He hadn't even seen them. His arms hung heavy at his sides, and he heard Shalimar swear under her breath beside him.

"Sorry, Adam." Brennan couldn't quite bring himself to make eye contact.

The dojo was silent for a moment.

"I give up," Adam finally spoke, "You two are just not focused enough right now. We'll pick this up later."

Brennan shifted his feet, exchanging glances with Shalimar, noting the faint red staining her cheeks, stammering at Adam as he shook his head and let them go.

"Emma, Jesse, you're up." Adam's attention turned the other members of his team.

Shalimar kicked again at where the attackers had stood moments before, grumbling as she flipped her hair over her shoulder, flouncing down the steps. Brennan watched her as she walked away.

"Hey Shal," he called after her before he realized it.

"Yeah?" She paused on the stairs, turning back toward him.

He suddenly had no idea what to say. "Ah, never mind." He shrugged, grinning in embarrassment.

She raised her eyebrows, grinning back at him, before turning back around. He couldn't help but notice her steps were lighter, that her hips swayed with a little more deliberation. He waited until she completely disappeared before sighing, flopping down next to Adam as he stood and watched Emma and Jesse.

Adam glanced silently down at him.

"Never had so much trouble with simulations before," Brennan explained in way of an apology. Adam nodded, looking back up as Jesse crowed loudly in triumph. Brennan shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to read the look in the older man's eyes. He sighed again, dropping his chin in his hand, glaring grumpily at Jesse as he easily blew through the same simulation that had bested Brennan moments before.

_He had never had so much trouble before._

"Ha-ha!" Jesse waggled his eyebrows at Brennan in glee.

_Ever._

He made a face back.

"Boys," Emma rolled her eyes in exasperation at their antics.

_Until now._

He refused to think why.


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I am so sorry for the late posting, but it is within a week, as promised:) I am just starting on chapter five, so will have to post this one a little slower than I normally like to do until I can get more chapters written. I'm having problems with Document Manager eating my punctuation, so I apologize if this chapter uploads strangely. Thank you so much for all your amazing support! Thank you so much blackpanther, FireFeral, hi, Donna Lynn, Jenn11, Rain, Cristina, CatJerica, Chris, Laura, Courtney, MariShal, Mayra, Rachel, Me, and Anne. I can't thank you enough for your encouragement! I hope I can accurately capture season two for you! Thank you!

Traveling Souls—Chapter Two

It was the kind of day that couldn't be ignored. Spring made its presence known with bright sun and balmy breezes, carrying the hint of meadow flowers and baby greens blooming all around sanctuary. Even Adam couldn't ignore its call, agreeing to the afternoon off with surprisingly little resistance. Emma loved picnics, it had become a tradition for them shortly after her and Brennan first arrived, and she had shared with them it was the best day of her life. Since then, no one could deny Emma her picnics. And so, as the cloudless sky stretched startlingly blue down around them, they found themselves atop the mountain, in a dimpled patch of land that was fairly flat.

"Come on, Adam!" Brennan called impatiently from where he stood on a makeshift third base. "Swing the bat already!"

"I'm waiting for the perfect pitch." With his usual concentration, Adam was a picture of intense study, gripping the stout stick they were using for a bat, while Jesse threw a large pinecone at him. His eyes narrowed for a moment, debating, before his shoulders relaxed. The pinecone sailed right past him.

"Adam!" Brennan whined, wiping the dripping sweat off his forehead, resting his hands on his knees. He'd been standing at third base for almost a half hour already.

"You know," Emma leaned over with a conspiring whisper to Shalimar, "I swear Adam is running the geometry in his head every time Jesse throws the ball."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Shalimar snickered as Adam let another one fly past him, and Brennan flopped to the ground with a groan. Shalimar took pity on him, tossing him a bottled water. He shot her a grateful look, twisting off the cap and guzzling it whole. She watched him drink, throat bobbing as his head tilted back, fingers drumming impatiently on his bent knees as yet another pinecone whipped past Adam's shoulder. She dragged her eyes back to her plate of food as she became aware of Emma's knowing gaze, laughing again as Emma's bony elbow dug into her sides and the redhead grinned with an infectious giggle.

"Like what you see?" Emma's elbow jabbed her again.

"Stop it," Shalimar swatted at her, "I'm just watching the game."

"Uh-huh." Emma lifted her camera as Brennan dragged off his shirt, wiping it across his damp brow. Sweat ran down chiseled abs as he stretched out on the ground, bunching the shirt up under his head.

"Wake me up when it's finally time to run," He sarcastically intoned as Adam's calculating eyes let another ball go by.

"So you wouldn't be interested in seeing this picture then, would you?" Emma continued, glancing sideways at Shalimar with a small smirk. "It's amazing the detail these zoom lens can capture."

"Nope." Shalimar decisively shook her head. "I couldn't care less."

"Ok then," Emma sing-songed as she set the camera down between them. "I'll just keep it for myself then."

Shalimar's eyes darted to the camera. "Fine."

"Fine." Emma parroted with a grin, glancing up as Jesse groaned, rotating his shoulder with a wince. "I think I better go convince Adam to take a swing before the guys gang up on him."

Shalimar chuckled in agreement as Emma stood to her feet, waiting until she was several feet away before snatching up the camera, tossing it back down with a pout as Emma immediately turned around and pointed back at her with a knowing laugh. _Psionics._ Who cares if she wanted to admire a good view? She was only looking, it didn't mean a thing. She snatched the camera back up, lips curling into a pleasant grin as she flipped through the last few shots. _It didn't._

Whack!

The sound of an exploding pinecone brought her head back up, and she shook her head at Emma as she strolled back over to her with a pleased grin. Adam looked momentarily surprised at the hit, freezing for a moment until Brennan jumped to his feet.

"Run!" Brennan threw his water bottle on the ground, wildly gesturing at Adam as he ran toward him, "Run to first!"

Adam came alive, dropping the stick to the ground and taking off toward the base. Jesse frantically searched the ground, finally snatching up a chuck of the mangled pinecone and running after the older man.

"Run, Adam!" Brennan screamed louder at him as Jesse gained ground.

"What did you do?" Shalimar nudged Emma as she sat back down beside her, laughing as the men struggled to run through the sloping meadow of knee-high wild flowers.

"Nothing," Emma laughingly denied, picking up her camera again, quickly framing a shot of Jesse airborne over a daisy. "I just reminded him that the loser had to scrub the dojo floor…with a toothbrush."

She grinned over her shoulder at the laughing feral as she snapped another picture. She would have another perfect day captured for her album. It was important to remember moments like this, the good ones, and share them.

"Come on," Shalimar yanked on her hand, pulling her along to where the boys were pettily bickering over whether Adam was safe at first base or not, "We better break it up!" They giggled as they ran together, tackling the unsuspecting male members of their team, rolling down the slope with shrieks of laughter.

"AHH!"

"Is that—?"

"Eww!"

Adam stood with hands on hips, rolling his eyes with amusement as they crashed into each other at the bottom, covering in goose droppings. It was hard to imagine at that exact moment that they were the heroes he knew them to be. _Young people_. He shook his head, following after them into the setting sun.

"Hey," Brennan knocked on Shalimar's bedroom door an hour later, peering in. "You clean yet?"

"Yeah," Shalimar laughed, prodding her discarded clothing with a booted foot. "But I doubt my clothes will ever be the same again."

"No kidding." Brennan wrinkled his nose at the smell as he came to a stop next to her. "Today was fun though."

"It was," Shalimar turned towards him with a smile, "We'll have to do that more often."

Brennan raised an eyebrow. "Roll down a hill covered in goose crap?"

"No!" She slapped his chest with a chuckle. "You know what I mean."

Brennan smiled down into her upturned face, heart picking up a few paces. _She was so beautiful_. Her smile lit her entire face, skin glowing with healthy vigor, damp hair falling down her slender shoulders in a glorious riot. Hesitantly, he reached out and touched a stray curl, slowly winding it around his finger. Shalimar froze mid-sentence, lips parted open in awareness. He couldn't help it, his thumb reached over, tracing her full lower lip with a gentle caress, shivering as her warm breath puffed against his skin. The smile slowly faded from his own lips, and without thinking, his head dipped down. He saw her eyes flutter shut, and closed his own, startled when her hands suddenly resisted against his chest. He opened his eyes to see an inscrutable expression flint across her face before her lips again curled into a flirty smile, taking a tiny step back. It was a defensive move, he realized suddenly, one he didn't even think she was fully aware of making. Disappointment flooded him, but he eased back, hiding it with his own teasing smile, and he felt her relax in their more familiar role. _She was afraid._ So he was he, he ruefully admitted to himself, suddenly unsure of what he really wanted. He didn't exactly have the best track record with women. And Shalimar knew that. He swallowed, taking another step back, putting safe distance between them.

He cleared his throat. "So, ah, you hungry?" He playfully patted his stomach. "I'm starving."

She looked relieved and smiled. "You're always hungry."

"What?" He held out his hands, "I worked hard in the game today. Sitting at third base took a lot out of me."

"Stop." She laughingly swatted at him, and he grinned back, looping a friendly arm around her shoulder, steering them toward the kitchen.

"Brennan, Shalimar." Adam's voice stopped them halfway down the hallway.

Brennan grimaced, making Shalimar laugh again. He grinned back, feeling good about making her smile. He loved to see that smile.

"What's up, Adam?" Shalimar turned, instantly recognizing his expression. "New mission?"

Adam smiled briefly at Shalimar, nodding as he flicked on a nearby monitor with a remote.

"Eckhart?" Startled, Brennan stared at the picture of their nemesis on the screen. Other than trying to frame Adam recently, he'd been very quiet. _Too quiet_. Brennan frowned, crossing his arms.

"I've been contacted by a new mutant asking Mutant X for assistance. He's been on the run since being released from stasis a few months ago." Adam turned to thoughtfully study the screen.

"And Eckhart wants him?" Shalimar's brow furrowed. "Do you think he's trying to reassemble the GSA?"

"I don't know." Adam spread out his hands. "But I'm hoping we'll find out more as soon as we talk to this mutant, so I want you two to bring him in." The screen changed to show an old brick building.

"Is that the place?" Shalimar studied it with interest.

"Typical," Brennan grumbled, "You'd think one of these guys would be a little more original. Why is it always a dark alley or abandoned warehouse?"

"We're on it." Shalimar nodded at Adam, gesturing to Brennan with a toss of her head.

"But I'm hungry," Brennan complained, trailing after her.

Shalimar laughed at his petulant tone, "Come on, big baby, you can eat when we get back."

Adam shook his head as their voices disappeared down the hallway. As the faint roar of the helix was heard, he pointed the remote back at the monitor, staring as a new picture emerged. His fingers tightened on the remote.

"Hey Adam!" A shout of laughter and approaching footsteps told him Jesse was just around the corner. He quickly flicked off the screen, pushing his shaking hands into his pockets.

Brennan cast his eyes around the looming space of the warehouse, struggling to adjust to the dim lighting, glad that Shalimar at least could see where they were going.

"Oh, gross." Shalimar suddenly pawed the air in front of her.

Brennan shuddered in understanding as he felt fine strands of spider webs clinging to his face and clothes. "Stand still, Shal." He blindly reached out, sweeping the silken strands from her hair before running his hand down her back, pulling away handfuls of the sticky stuff.

"Thanks." Shalimar spit a clingy blob out of her mouth, making a wry face. "I walked right into that one."

Brennan laughed. "And here I was just feeling comforted by the fact you could see in this hellhole."

"I can," Shalimar defended, "Your loud breathing was distracting me."

"Oh really?" He took a step closer.

"Yeah." She raised her chin with a grin.

His eyes twinkled evilly. "First geese, now spiders. I just can't take you anywhere without getting dirty, can I?" His fingers found her elbows in the dark. "Looks like we'll have to give you another shower when we get home."

"Uh-huh," She narrowed her eyes at his insinuation, daring him to go further. It was a dance they always did. Two steps back, one step forward, one steps back, two steps forward. Giving and taking, testing and learning, but never really knowing. It was the not knowing part that terrified her.

Brennan slid his fingers up her arms, cupping her shoulders, sensing she was still with him. She didn't move, didn't speak, and he ran his finger gently along the edge of her scoop-neck shirt, tracing her exposed collar bone. _What are you doing?_ His mind screamed at him, knowing he was pushing the line, but his fingers didn't listen. Her eyes suddenly flared, golden yellow slits, and he froze.

"I-I'm sorry—"

"Shh!" She yanked on his arm, indicating silence. "Someone's here."

His expression fell flat, easily switching into professional mode from years of practice. Sparks flickered from ready fingers as his neutral eyes scanned the cavernous space. "Show yourself." He exuded authority, tone demanding obedience.

Nothing happened.

Two fingers tapped his elbow, and he nodded imperceptively, understanding immediately that Shalimar was going to circle around. She slipped away, darkness rapidly swallowing her, and he stood firm; waiting.

"You asked for help?" He tried again.

Still there was only silence.

"We can help you," He shifted slightly looking over his shoulder, tone softening. "Don't be afraid."

"I'm not."

Startled, Brennan jumped slightly when a figure suddenly dropped down a few feet in front of him. He stared, trying to feel him out.

The man stared back.

He stood easily the same height as Brennan, arms crossed, brows raised in a haughty air. Even in the darkness, his eyes were piercing, drilling deeply into Brennan.

"You're not Adam Kane."

Brennan's own brows rose at the man's angry accusation. "Look, you asked for Mutant X to help you, and we're here. What do you want?"

"Not you."

Brennan's temper flared at the man's insolent tone. Blue electricity charged, dancing confidently on his fingers.

A hiss, a flicker, and orange flames danced on the fingertips of the man across from him.

_A fire mutant, just great._ Brennan growled lowly, hoping Shalimar was far enough away. _If she wasn't, no way in hell was this guy getting anywhere near her._ His other hand circled and rose, fully charged.

The mutant matched his movement.

They stood in standoff, blue and orange flickering and sparking in the darkness.

"Your move." The man finally spoke.

Heavy breathing was the only sound in the ensuing silence.

Brennan took a step forward.

"Stop it!"

Shalimar suddenly dropped between them.

Brennan's first thought was that she was trying to protect him and a wave of frustration and tenderness washed over him. It took him a moment to realize her defensive stance was not turned away from him, but toward him, and that her glowing eyes were not turned away from him, but were focused on him.

"Shal?" He took a step back, startled, but her eyes had already turned toward the other man with a softening gaze that brought a twist of sickening fear to Brennan's stomach.

He knew that look in her eyes. It was only supposed to be for him.

And the silence roared.


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I'm home sick with the flu today, so figured I might as well use the time to post an update. Thank goodness for laptops and wireless connections! But anyway, thank you so very much to everyone who is reading and supporting this story. As hinted in the previous chapter, one part of this story is revealed for you in this chapter. I know this idea has been done before, but please bear with me, I have my own larger plot twists planned, so I hope to make it original. I'll do my best! Thank you Kerry, blackpanther, hi again, mxfan214, Farah, MariShal, Mayra, Alias-fan-mutant-kitty, AussieMXfan (Thank you! Maybe someday you'll share yours!), Marie (don't worry, I will never leave a story unfinished!), Kaela. Your comments are so encouraging! SithelfJen, to answer your question, Of Wind and Wood is the sequel to House of Dreams and While All Was Still. Thank you! Rain, I thought you might like that sentence. :) I've been holding onto that one for a while, waiting for the right place to use it, lol. Thank you! Donna Lynn, thank you! I too wish more people wrote B/S! CatJerica, don't worry, in case you haven't figured out by now, I'm a hopeless romantic. :) I'm now working on chapter six, so it's slowly getting written. Here's the next chapter for you in the meantime, I hope you enjoy it!

Traveling Souls—Chapter Three

His stomach dropped nervously when she suddenly ran towards the man. It tightened with fear when she flung herself into his arms. And it twisted with jealousy when she lifted her face to his and whispered his name with joy, tears brimming in her beautiful eyes.

The sparks dancing on his fingers flickered and died.

"Shalimar," Brennan finally found his voice as the man's hand tenderly cupped her cheek. It came out harsher than he intended. He cleared his throat, trying again. "Shal."

She finally turned towards him, blinking as if she had forgotten he was even there. The muscle in his jaw flexed.

"What's going on, Shal?" Brennan's eyes darted past hers to narrow in on the man behind her. "Who is he?"

"A ghost." She murmured cryptically, already turning back toward the man.

_Ghost?_ Brennan's eyebrows shot up. "Shalimar," He took a step forward, grasping her elbow. "Talk to me, what's going on?"

"I don't know, Brennan." She shook her head, lost, as she turned, hands tentatively reaching out, pausing. She gasped slightly as strong, warm fingers she hadn't felt in years closed around hers and piercing brown eyes searched hers. He looked just as she remembered him, and she melted into his gaze.

Brennan's hand fell limply from her elbow.

"You—You died." Her fingers shook as they pulled from his and framed his face gently, voice cracking. "I saw you, I couldn't save you."

"No, Shalimar," He spoke her name with a caress, pulling her against his strong chest in a soothing gesture.

Brennan frowned heavily, arms crossing.

She pulled back after a moment, brows creased. "I don't understand. You-you can't be here." She trembled on her feet.

"I'm here, I'm right here." He smiled familiarly, full of warmth and love. "But I didn't expect to see you here."

She smiled tumultuously back, and Brennan's heart lurched with a cold thud. He narrowed his eyes, sparks again flaring from his fingertips. "Let her go."

It took a moment for his words to register, and then she turned around in surprise. "Brennan, what are you doing?" She took a step towards him.

"Come over here, Shal."

"Why?"

He took a step closer, voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Shalimar, think about it. We're called here for a meet only to find your long, lost—whatever." Brennan gestured angrily at the silent man who stood watching. "It's too convenient, we're being set up."

"No—"

"You just said yourself that you saw him die."

She bit her lip, turning anguished eyes back on the other man. "Alex?" Her eyes latched onto his face, taking in each feature. His dark, messy hair, his deep eyes, so soft and yet so dark. Everything was just as she remembered, and the feelings of warm and comfort she always felt with him came rushing back. "Is it you?"

"Yeah." Alex said softly, lips curving into a smile that brought an ache to her heart. He again clasped her hands in his, pressing a kiss against her shaking palm. "Hi." His eyes were infinitely tender.

"I said, let—her—go." Brennan strode forward, voice demanding, lips pressed into a flat, determined line. His hand dropped onto Shalimar's shoulder.

Alex's eyes flickered from Brennan's hand and then back to Shalimar's face.

"No."

Brennan surged forward, but Shalimar was faster, stopping him with a firm hand on his chest. He silently acquiesced, but didn't step back. Shalimar could feel the warmth of his body against her back, and it felt strangely comforting as she turned her eyes back to Alex's face. "How?" The word came out a whisper.

"I can explain everything, Shalimar, but not right now." He made to touch her again, but Brennan's growl gave him pause. He smiled slightly in acknowledgement.

"Are you really here?" Shalimar was too distracted to notice the tension. "You're alive?"

"I am."

"And you're looking for Adam?"

His eyes darkened even more. "Yes."

Brennan opened his mouth to retort, but his words were never heard.

One minute they were standing, the next they were knocked flat to the ground.

Brick and mortar crumbled around them, dust instantly billowing up in dangerous clouds. Brennan immediately started coughing, choking on the chalky dust as he pushed himself off the ground and up onto his hands and knees. Through the sudden chaos, he saw a new figure standing, arms braced against the crumbling wall. He felt a shiver pass through him as the man suddenly turned his head and met his eyes. _Soulless._ The word echoed through his mind even as he heard Shalimar suck in a deep breath from where she had landed on the ground beside him, and he caught a brief glimpse of her flinging herself up and over his body. Her foot caught him squarely in the back of the shoulder, and he was simultaneously pushed forward even as she used his back for a launching pad. Reflexively, he fell into a forward roll, landing on his knees, groaning as chunks of falling brick struck his shoulders. He grunted in pain even as he whipped around, searching through the blinding dust, panicked. He couldn't see her.

"Shalimar!"

There was the sound of more scuffling and then he heard a familiar growl. He leapt forward at the sound, almost crashing into another bulk that he immediately recognized as Alex. They glanced in annoyance at each other, hands quickly swirling as they gathered energy, and lightening and fire danced side by side as they surged forward.

They staggered to a stop a few steps later.

The man lay sprawled on his back, the palm of Shalimar's hand pressed into his throat with fury. There was dead silence as they all stared at each other, and then the man curiously smiled again.

"Shalimar?" Brennan called to her again, eyes roving for any more surprises.

"He's a geological," She answered him calmly, eyes never leaving the man on the floor. "He was bringing the building down around us." She slammed his head against the ground, ignoring the eerie grin. "Why?"

The man didn't answer, but blinked slowly, lazily.

The sound of Alex clearing his throat was loud in the darkness. "Shalimar, you need to get back, very slowly."

"I've got him." She pressed her hand down more firmly for good measure.

"Shalimar, please." She paused at the desperate twinge to his voice, but did not move, light brown eyes appraising the man beneath her.

"You shouldn't do that." The man finally spoke, his voice as lifeless as his eyes. Before anyone could react, Shalimar was sprawled on her back, under a precariously balanced section of roof. The man's hands were on the ground as he stared at her, eyes unreadable as a pale red glow began to spread down his arms.

Brennan cursed, running forward. Through the pounding of his own pulse, he heard again the roar of falling brick as the earth ferociously shook. "No!" He struck out, lightening crackling, but it was too late. The man was gone.

He swore again, stumbling over fallen debris as he staggered in the direction he had seen Shalimar fall. "Shalimar! Shalimar, talk to me!"

"I've got her."

Alex's deep voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

Shalimar still lay on her back where she had fallen, face slightly pale as she stared straight up. Alex was stretched above her, face inches from hers, dark eyes staring back at her. He was massed, or at least part of him was, Brennan dimly noticed, his body bearing the brunt of the collapsed ceiling above them.

He had saved her.

"I've got her." Alex softly repeated his words, still staring at Shalimar. Neither of them looked at him, and Brennan's stomach soured as fading adrenaline mixed with fear and relief. He rested his hands on his knees, taking a deep breath, glancing up at the other man in near frustration. "You're a molecular too?" He was being irrational, he knew it. The man just had saved Shalimar's life, but he couldn't quite keep the irritation out of his voice. He shifted his feet uneasily, ignoring the frown Shalimar shot at him as she crawled out from under the man. Alex took a deep breath, brick flying as he heaved upward and landed on his feet.

"So," Brennan stared at the destruction around them. "What the hell was that anyway?"

"That," Alex retorted dryly, calmly brushing the dust off his shirt, "Is part of what is after me."

_He hated him_. In the time that it took them to travel back to Sanctuary, Brennan had already firmly formed an opinion about Alex. The feeling only deepened as he strode down the hallway behind him, glowering as the man's fingers brushed against the small of Shalimar's back, and she threw him a quick smile. Brennan's fists clutched at his side. _Oh yeah, he hated him._ He refused to think why.

Around the corner, Emma looked up in startled surprise. "Oh my."

Jesse and Adam glanced at her in confusion, but were distracted when Brennan and Shalimar turned the corner, bringing with them a stranger. Adam rose smoothly to his feet, holding out his hand.

"You must be Alex."

"Dr Kane?" Alex countered, accepting the handshake after a moment.

"Adam, please." Adam gestured to them all to sit down. "I have to admit I was rather intrigued by your message."

Emma watched as Shalimar perched on a chair next to the handsome mutant. Brennan stood protectively behind her, hands resting on the back of her chair. She swung an intrigued gaze between the three.

"Message?" Jesse prompted after a moment when Alex stayed silent.

"I recently escaped…capture," Alex finally sighed, leaning to the side to dig in his pants pocket. "The man who helped me died, but asked me to bring this to Adam Kane." He held up a small disk.

Adam accepted the disk, watching the young mutant's face. "Capture?"

"You were podded at Genomex," Emma finally whispered, eyes falling shut at the tortured emotion she felt from him.

Alex shuddered slightly, eyes hooded as his head jerked in a brief nod.

Shalimar sucked in a breath, rising and kneeling before Alex, resting her hands over his. "You didn't tell me."

Brennan dropped his eyes with a twinge of guilt, struggling to understand his feelings. His fingers tightened, turning white as Alex reached out with one hand and tenderly cupped Shalimar's face.

"You two know each other?" Adam voiced his surprise as he intently watched the exchange.

"Yes, very well." Alex didn't take his eyes off Shalimar. "We were inseparable at one time."

Shalimar smiled sadly at him. "Until the day I saw him killed. I couldn't get there fast enough to save him, to stop him from being taken from me." Her voice wavered, and she paused, clearing her throat, looking up at Adam. "It was right before you found me, brought me here."

Adam nodded thoughtfully, remembering the painful and distraught conditions he had found Shalimar. He crossed over to the computer as their voices continued to murmur in conversation.

"I thought you had died, otherwise I would have looked for you."

"Hey, it's ok."

"You spent all these years…in a pod?" She paused. "How—?"

"How did I stay sane? I don't know exactly. I had a friend, a doctor, the man who helped me escape…"

Adam half listened as he opened the disk, quickly scanning the files. There were hundreds of them, several broken and disjointed. It would take him a while to go through them all. He skimmed down the list, freezing as a familiar name jumped out at him.

"Dr Evan Shaw?" Adam read the name, glancing sharply up at Alex.

"Yes, but how—"

"Everyone pack your bags, we're going on a trip." Adam cut the younger man off, paling as his eyes kept reading the screen.

"Adam?" Emma crossed over to him in concern, confused by the feelings rolling off him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Adam shook his head, eyes still locked on the monitor. "Just an unexpected part of the past."

Emma watched him a moment more before turning away.

"Adam?" Brennan spoke up, "You want to tell us where we're going?"

"Wherever it is, I'm coming." Alex stood to his feet.

"I think we've got it covered." Brennan frowned darkly, facing him.

"No, Alex is right, I think he should come along for this one." Adam interjected, barely looking up. "We could use his help. We leave in one hour."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Adam." Brennan didn't want to back down. "He's being followed; he already almost got Shalimar killed."

"I_ saved_ her." Alex ground out, teeth clenching at Brennan's words.

Brennan's eyes sparked in anger. "She shouldn't have needed saving in the first place."

"Brennan, stop it." Shalimar whipped around, eyes narrowing at him pointedly.

"Fine." Brennan bit out, not moving from his position near Shalimar, his penetrating gaze meeting Alex's. The other man never wavered, and for several tense seconds, they stared at each other. Shalimar watched Brennan, brows creased.

Jesse and Emma exchanged glances at the obvious tension. Jesse shook his head after a moment, leaving the room, Emma trailing after him.

"Shalimar," Adam gestured the feral over to him. She glanced one more time between Brennan and Alex before silently crossing the room toward Adam.

The two men were left alone.

Brennan shuffled his feet, not knowing what to say, struggling to control the warring feelings within.

"How long have you two known each other?" Alex's quiet inquiry brought his head up.

"Over two years." Brennan squared his shoulders, chin lifting in slight challenge.

The other man's brow rose. "I knew her for three."

The air was heavy between them.

"_Knew,"_ Brennan flatly stressed, arms crossing tightly across his broad chest.

Alex's mouth quirked, and his head dipped in reply.

"Brennan, you better go pack." Adam's voice broke them apart.

"Fine." Brennan stared at Alex a moment more before striding toward the bedrooms, brushing past Jesse and Emma as they came back in with backpacks. Shalimar was already gone, running a quick errand for Adam.

In the quiet bustle of Sanctuary, no one noticed Adam as he flinched; face pale, eyes darting between the disappearing Brennan and Alex with an inscrutable expression.

Shalimar found Brennan in his shower. There was a startled exclamation from within as she kicked his bathroom door open without hesitation.

"Brennan!"

There was silence, then the sound of water turning off. Brennan stepped around the corner a moment later, towel wrapped around his waist. He slicked his hair back to get the water out of his eyes and looked at her in questioning amusement. "This couldn't wait?"

"No."

His smile dropped at her angry retort. "Ok, Shal, what is it?"

"You want to tell me what the hell that was?" Her arms gestured wildly, jabbing the air behind her.

"What?" Brennan petulantly brushed past her, into his bedroom. He knew exactly what she was talking about; he just didn't want to discuss it.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Brennan flinched as she echoed his thoughts, pacing back and forth in his small room, her pointed heels drumming an angry rhythm. He watched her pace around, finally shrugging and crossing over to his dresser, yanking open a drawer. "I don't feel like doing this right now, Shal."

"Too bad." She swung towards him, eyes sparking a challenge, daring him. "I'm not leaving until we do."

Brennan took the dare.

"Your choice." He shrugged again, dropping the towel.

Shalimar gasped, spinning around. "Brennan!" Her voice quivered with shock and indignation.

He opened his mouth, then clamped it shut again, swallowing back a sarcastic remark. He sighed, reaching for his clean clothes.

Shalimar impatiently tapped her fingers against her leg, listening to the rustle of material sliding against flesh. She flushed, feeling suddenly warm. She waited a moment more, then turned around again. "We need to talk, Brennan."

He glanced at her as he yanked up the zipper on his jeans, propping his hands on his lean hips. "Ok, fine. Tell me about Alex."

"What about him?" She looked defensive, and his irritation flared. She saw it immediately. "Why do you hate him so much?"

He gritted his teeth. "You know why." He set his jaw mutinously, refusing to say it aloud.

Shalimar glared back. "Tell me."

He stepped forward, leaning down, invading her space. "I don't trust him, not with you."

Their eyes met and held for long moments. Something flared between them, and then he jerked upright, looking away. She froze, caught between anger and sudden unease.

"Who was he to you, Shalimar?" Brennan finally spoke, voice quiet and tired.

She sucked in air between her teeth. "Someone I could trust."

_Unlike me._ Unwittingly, the thought rose bitterly to his tongue, and he swung around at her words, pain slashing across his features, but she was already gone.

His door swung heavy between them.


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I'm halfway through chapter seven now, so slowly getting this poor story written! Sorry again it's taking so long! Thank you for your patience and encouragement in the meantime, I can't tell how much I appreciate you all! Thank you so much Anne, hi, Rachel, Kerry, MariShal, Donna Lynn (another long one for you!) Saphire Ravven8. Rain, love how you pick up on the little things. :) Thank you! Mayra, thank you! I don't want to say too much, but please don't worry. :) Fortunately, I'm over that horrible flu now, so am feeling much better and am hoping to get a lot written this weekend. But anyway, here's the next chapter for you. Thank you!

Traveling Souls—Chapter Four

The air was silent, save for a steady drone that hummed in their ears. Though Brennan normally flew the helix on autopilot during long flights, he kept it on manual this time, desperately needing the distraction of something to do, anything to ignore the people in the cabin behind him. He was angry, frustrated, and he didn't want to deal with any of them at the moment. He could feel their curiosity, their confusion at his behavior, but he didn't care. He shifted in his seat, eyes glued ahead, unsure why exactly he was behaving this way. Jesse had tried numerous times to engage him in conversation, but had finally taken the hint and fallen silent, staring over Adam's shoulder instead, trying to catch glimpses of what the older man was reading. Next to Brennan, Adam had his nose buried in whatever information he was pulling from the disk. Shalimar and Alex, having exhausted all topics of conversation within the first few hours, had mercifully fallen silent. Brennan cleared his throat, and it was loud in the silence. He could feel Emma staring at him, could feel her probing the edges of his mind, asking permission, but he flatly refused. She retreated, and he was alone.

But she didn't give up that easily. He should have known.

"Hey, Adam," Emma spoke up sweetly, conveniently ignoring the mental daggers Brennan was throwing her way. "Can you tell us what you've found so far?"

Jesse, still craning his neck, grumbled in agreement. "Or at least where we're going."

Even Brennan perked up at that. He had only been told to fly West.

"Alright, fair enough." Adam smiled slightly and a moment later, a map appeared on their terminals. "We're going to an old, underground Genomex facility."

"In the Rocky Mountains?" Jesse raised an eyebrow. "Sounds a little familiar."

"True." Adam chuckled. "Although this place won't be like Sanctuary I'm afraid. It was abandoned by Eckhart in the early 80's."

"So what's the connection between Alex and this place?" Shalimar's lips had flattened at the mention of Eckhart.

"Well, I'm working on that," Adam turned in his chair, pressing his hands together and pointing them at Alex. "From what I can gather, your friend, Dr. Shaw, has been a very busy man."

"What do you mean?" Shalimar shook her head, hand landing on Alex's shoulder in reassurance.

Brennan's gaze flicked toward them, then back straight ahead.

"This disk contains years of his work, research done in secret." Adam paused for a moment. "He claims to have cracked the missing gene sequence."

"What?" Brennan couldn't stay silent any longer, turning in his chair to stare at Adam.

"According to his notes, he worked in the facility for years, but hid his physical research there when it was shut down. I think it was about that same time that he was beginning to get a true picture of Eckhart's plans and didn't want him to find it."

"I still don't understand the connection to Alex in all this?" Shalimar persisted, looking at Alex who shrugged blankly.

"I don't know if there is one," Alex smiled back at Shalimar, touching a strand of her hair. "I think he just trusted me to help him."

Brennan narrowed his eyes, whirling back around, turning his back to the cabin. He missed the look Shalimar threw him as she pulled back slightly from Alex's touch.

"That's what we have to find out," Adam continued, turning back around in his own chair, staring out the window. "And we have to find that research before Eckhart does."

"Oh that's brilliant," Brennan sarcastically muttered, fingers tightening angrily on the grip. "With Eckhart's goons on his tail, Alex is going to lead them straight to it. Even more reason he shouldn't be here—"

"Brennan, stop it."

Shalimar's sharp tone brought uncomfortable silence back to the helix, save for the occasional click of keys from Adam.

"We're almost there." Brennan finally announced, reaching up to prepare for landing. "What the-" His hands lifted in surprise when an eerie rasping noise filled the cabin. "Adam?"

"It's from the disk." Adam curtly explained, struggling to make out the sound.

Emma made a strangled sound in the back of her throat, reaching out and gripping Jesse's arm.

"Emma?" He looked at her in concern as the sound intensified.

The rasping noise faded into heavy breathing, and then a voice, so cold it chilled Brennan to the bone as it heaved and rattled, came through the speakers. _"So I have seen, so it shall be." _

"Adam?" Jesse's voice rose as he stared at the back of the older man's head. "What was that?" He winced as Emma's fingers dug tighter, laying his hand over hers in reassurance.

"A precog." Emma's pained whisper interrupted them, and they all exchanged startled glances.

Nameless dread inked through Brennan. "What the hell are we getting ourselves into?" He glanced once more toward the back of the plane, as if the answers would magically appear. He only saw the faces of his teammates staring back. He pressed his lips together, turning back to complete the landing sequence.

"You've got to be kidding." Jesse stared at Adam in disbelief a few minutes later; eyes flickering to the jagged cliffs rising behind him. "Please tell me you're kidding."

"Oh come on Jesse, where's your spirit of adventure?" Feeling better in the fresh air, Emma forced a cheerful tone, looping her arm through Jesse's, pulling him up the grassy slope.

"Waiting for my stomach to catch up," Jesse muttered, allowing himself to be led way.

"The landing wasn't _that_ bad," Emma threw Brennan a sympathetic look as they passed by him.

_Thanks_. Brennan wryly raised his eyebrows at Emma. It hadn't been very easy landing the helix on the side of a mountain. He glanced sideways at Adam. "Are you sure we couldn't have flown in a little closer?" He followed Adam's stare further up the mountain to the sharp cliffs and heavy treeline. "Never mind."

Adam chuckled, clamping a hand on his shoulder. "Ready?"

"Yeah." Brennan watched as Shalimar leaped gracefully from the open door of the cloaked helix, tugging a pack over her shoulder. "Let's do this."

It didn't take them long to reach the cover of the thick treeline, but already they were struggling for breath in the thin air. The spring ground cover was dark and dank, not yet green in the higher elevation. They staggered silently, roughly following the winding trail of a little river which at times narrowed to almost a creek. It was deep however, filled with runoff from the glaciers above, and occasionally creaked with strange, furtive splashings that made them jump. Rustles and crackles sounded in the dense vegetation around them. Brennan paused to catch his breath, panting, glancing uneasily over his shoulder at the sound. He hadn't been entirely wrong with what he said earlier about Alex. Having the hunted man with them did put them all at higher risk, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He looked over at Emma, meeting her gaze. She smiled back at him, but he noticed she too was glancing continually around.

By silent consent, they continued their ascent after a moment. Only Shalimar seemed unaffected by the altitude, easily climbing the steep slope ahead of Brennan. The river creaked again, and he jumped slightly at the sound, relaxing when he heard Shalimar chuckle, frowning when he realized she was focused on Alex. The dark-haired man was slipping, hanging onto a slender tree for dear life as he desperately tried to regain his footing in the rugged terrain. She paused beside him, reaching out her hand to his, helping him. He murmured something, and she grinned, squeezing his fingers before releasing them. It only took a moment, they had already fallen back in line walking, but for Brennan, the touch was a few seconds too long. He glowered behind them, his earlier bad mood easily falling back into place. He knew she could sense him, her shoulders squaring minutely, her back stiffening as she purposely ignored him. He sighed, grunting as he labored up the mountain. Most of the time, they couldn't see the sun because of tall trees that leaned over the river, and where it was narrowest, actually met in a roof over their heads. The canopy made for relatively easy going despite the steepness of the ground because the undergrowth didn't grow thick in the perpetual shade.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Jesse finally broke the silence from somewhere at the front of the group. "How could an entire lab function this far from nowhere?"

"Can you imagine Eckhart huffing and puffing up this hill?" Emma giggled at the thought.

Brennan smiled at the sound of her laughter, reaching out as Shalimar suddenly staggered hard in front of him, instinctively grabbed her with both hands to steady her. "I've got you." Anger forgotten, he whispered into her hair, not caring the others could see him.

The warm touch of his hands spanning her slender waist immediately confused and unsettled Shalimar, and as they moved up the slope, he didn't remove them, but continued to support her. Brennan's face was expressionless, but her cheeks were a deep shade of pink.

"There used to be a road here," Adam paused to catch his breath, continuing the conversation. "It's grown over by now."

"How does he know that?" Brennan suspiciously murmured, breath stirring her hair.

"What do you mean?" Shalimar stole a glance at him over her shoulder.

"I mean he couldn't know that unless he's been here before."

"So?" She frowned as his tone again grew tight.

"More secrets, Shal. Don't you ever get tired of Adam keeping things from us?"

"So now this is about Adam?" She pulled away from his touch.

"Isn't it always?" His hands dropped back to his side.

"No, it's not." She hissed at him over her shoulder as they kept walking. "You've been in a bad mood for no reason ever since Alex showed up."

"Yeah," Brennan snorted derisively, "His arrival doesn't seem too convenient to you either?"

"No." She growled impatiently. "Just leave it alone, Brennan."

He made a frustrated sound in the back of his throat. "How can you be so blind? I'm telling you, something stinks around here."

She whirled around, seething. "Yeah, it does."

His lips flattened angrily at her insinuation, and he stared as she walked back a few steps before deliberately turning her back on him again and putting distance between them.

The afternoon wore sluggishly on as the tired group trudged up the mountain. Slowly, the terrain changed, treeline thinning to scraggly white pines, the river widening and gaining strength as glacial water melted and roared downward. Though it was spring, snow still covered the higher peaks, and the air carried a decisive chill. Brennan shivered in abject misery, already tired of it all. Tired of the mission, tired of climbing, tired of his emotions. He just wanted things to go back to normal. _Whatever normal for them was_, he grumbled under his breath. And he wanted Alex to go away. He glared at the back of the man's head, deciding it was all his fault. His foot slipped, and he scrambled to grab ahold of a tree, grunting as a branch scratched his face. It stung, and he swore miserably, scrubbing his face. He was just too damn tired.

Ahead of him, Shalimar abruptly stopped, head tilting to the side.

"What is it, Shal?" Emma had also stopped, signaling the rest of the group.

"Nothing," Shalimar shook her head after a moment. "I thought I heard something, but I don't see anything." She started forward again, pausing when Adam called after her.

"It's this way," Adam pointed to the east. "We should find the entrance just beyond the lower crest of the mountain."

Jesse wrinkled his nose as he followed Adam's finger. "So we have to?"

"Go across the river." Adam looked resigned at the words, sitting down and pulling off his shoes.

"Oh, this is going to be fun," Brennan groaned to himself as he sat down beside Adam, pulling off his own shoes. He hated water, was afraid of the stuff. Taking a quick shower in a controlled environment was one thing, crossing a moving river in the middle of nowhere was quite another. He sighed, tying the laces on his boots together and looping them around his neck. At least his boots would stay dry. He could feel Shalimar watching him, and he raised his head. Their eyes met, and he couldn't look away. Until Alex leaned toward Shalimar in question and then turned pitying eyes on Brennan as she whispered back to him in response. _Pity_. He bristled at the expression, abruptly standing and wading into the water.

"Brennan," He could hear Shalimar calling after him, but he ignored her, pushing deeper into the torrent of water. It rose quickly, easily hitting his waist, and he worried it would be too high for Shalimar and Emma. Jesse came up beside him, cringing against the iciness of the water.

"Hey," He glanced sideways at the shivering molecular.

"Hey," Jesse strained against the rising current. "How are you doing?" His head nodded back toward Alex.

"I'm fine."

"Uh-huh." Jesse raised his eyebrows. "So what's it this time, protectiveness or jealousy?"

"What?"

"You heard me." An amused smiled played around Jesse's mouth. "You're starting to get predictable, Brennan."

"Smart-ass." Brennan mumbled, hand slamming against the current, drenching Jesse with an arcing spray of water.

Jesse laughed, moving ahead of Brennan. He turned around, walking backward. Brennan's hands dipped down, ready to splash him again, abruptly stopping when Jesse froze, eyes locked behind him.

"Jesse?"

"Run!" Jesse whipped around, staggering toward the opposite bank.

Without looking, Brennan surged forward, adrenaline immediately pumping, causing him physical pain as it awoke the energy rippling just beneath his skin. He clenched his teeth, struggling to contain the energy surge, gasping as a wave of cold water poured over his head. Another wave immediately bashed against him, and he staggered to the shore, startled to feel another body next to him. He turned his head, seeing Adam coughing into the muddy bank.

"Emma!"

Shalimar's voice screamed behind them. He pushed his shaking arms into the mud, forcing his body to turn over, groaning in frustration at the inner struggle within his limbs, stopping in shock. The river had suddenly come alive, wild waves thrashing in angry upheaval. Water churned around Emma, trapping her in a mad vortex, sucking her down with impossible strength. Even as he scrambled to his feet, Shalimar had already reversed her direction, charging back into the chortling water.

"Emma! Hang on!" Shalimar desperately dove after Emma, grasping for her hands.

"Shalimar, no!" For the first time, Brennan realized Alex was also running back into the middle of the storming river, struggling to leap over large waves that kept sweeping him back. He started forward, but Adam and Jesse grabbed his arms.

"Let me go!" Brennan fought their hold, sucking in a sharp breath when Shalimar's head went under. Emma's bright red hair flashed in the light, and then she was gone as well. "No!"

"Brennan, stop!" Adam screamed in his ear, muscles bulging as he wrestled him back. "Let Alex handle it, it's too dangerous for you!"

"Shalimar!" Brennan ignored him, heaving against their hold, dragging them forward a few inches. "Emma!"

"Brennan-look!" Jesse pulled back, digging his feet into the slippery mud, hurtling forward when Brennan suddenly stopped resisting. He grunted as he slammed into the broad back of the elemental, struggling to regain his footing. "Look!" He excitedly jabbed his finger into the air, not realizing Brennan's eyes were already latched onto Shalimar as she lurched out of the water, Emma firmly clasped to her side. Alex caught up with them just as Shalimar staggered under the extra weight, sweeping Emma into his arms. Shalimar's face was contorted with pain, but still she smiled broadly.

"We're ok!" She waved bravely, grunting when a wave swept over her, knocking her down. She came back up, spitting out mud. Brennan reached for her as she neared, but she veered past him, accepting Jesse's hand instead.

"I got you, Shal." Jesse lowered her to the ground, arm wrapped protectively around her shoulder. "You ok?"

"Yeah."

Brennan stood, hurt coursing through his body at her rejection. She was still angry at him. He clenched his jaw, crossing over to Emma as she huddled against a tree, coughing. Adam was already hunched over her, busily checking her out. Brennan's gaze swung to Shalimar and then back to Emma, feeling strangely left out. Alex stood near Emma, watching, smiling at Shalimar as she thanked him for his help. _Alex, the rescuer.__ Adam and Jesse, the caregivers. And he?_ Brennan hunched his shoulders. _Apparently he wasn't needed anywhere._ Miserably, he leaned against another tree, arms crossed. He knew he was being unreasonable, but he couldn't seem to stop the feelings from pouring out of him. _Stupid river. Damn weakness._ He glowered back at the now still water, mysteriously calm once more.

He straightened in sudden awareness. "Hey Adam?"

"Yeah, Brennan?" Adam looked up distractedly from Emma, mentally counting as his fingers gauged her pulse.

"The water."

They all turned and stared.

"It's calm again." Jesse scratched his head, stating the obvious. "That can't be natural."

"It's not." Alex's face was grim, water running in silent rivulets down his cheeks.

"He was here." Shalimar's eyes flashed golden as scanned the area. "But I can't see him anywhere."

"Shalimar?" Adam looked to her for an explanation.

"The geological mutant after Alex." Brennan answered lowly. "The one that nearly killed Shalimar."

"Eckhart knows we're here?" Emma looked up from a coughing spell.

"I told you we shouldn't have brought-"

"Brennan." Shalimar whirled toward him in angry exasperation, silencing him with a furious glare.

Brennan snapped his jaw shut, glaring mutinously back.

Adam tactfully cleared his throat, intervening, waiting until they all turned to look at him. "We're a few miles away yet from the entrance, and we're all soaking wet."

"What do you want to do, Adam?" Jesse had tucked his hands under his armpits, shivering as he looked around the surrounding trees.

"We need to get everyone dry, this mountain gets cold at night, and I don't want any of you getting sick out here."

"You want to spend the night out here?" Emma made a face.

"Think of it as one of your picnics…at night." Adam grinned at Emma until she couldn't help but smile back. "We've got emergency gear in our packs, even small tents. It won't be the most comfortable night we've spent together, but we'll be warm and dry."

"Don't forget about the psychotic mutant after us," Brennan grumbled, bending over to retrieve his backpack, glad to see it was at least still dry.

"Nothing new there," Jesse countered back, picking up his own bag. He yawned, looking around the group and then out into the darkening forest. "Who wants first shift?"

The sun had long disappeared by the time they had their makeshift camp set up. True to his word, Adam showed them tiny pop-up tents in a small compartment at the bottom of each of their packs. Four of them were still dry enough to be used, prompting Shalimar and Emma and Brennan and Jesse to double up.

"I hope you don't snore," Jesse jabbed his elbow into Brennan's side as they fought to assemble the flimsy tent.

"Don't even start," Brennan jabbed Jesse back, elbowing his way into the narrow opening and shoving his pack inside.

Adam shook his head as they bantered back and forth, glancing up as Shalimar limped past them. "Are you alright, Shalimar?"

Brennan's head popped out at his words, and turned to look at Shalimar.

"I'm fine," She raised her chin.

Adam noticed she didn't start walking again until Brennan's head had again disappeared inside his tent. She limped a few more yards before settling against a tree, legs spread out in front of her. She winced as she untied her boots, immediately stopping when Brennan once more emerged from his small tent.

The elemental looked around briefly, seeing everyone occupied except Shalimar. He crossed over to her. "We need to collect firewood, get everyone dried out. If you can go look that way, I'll go over there—"

"No, Brennan." Shalimar's face was unreadable from where Adam stood. He frowned appraisingly as Brennan stared back at her.

"Fine." He finally heard Brennan grit out, turning away and disappearing into the trees.

Adam approached as she bent her head back over her unlaced boot.

"What do you want, Adam?" She didn't look up.

"Let me see, Shalimar." Adam squatted in front of her, tone firm. Startled, she looked up at him. Adam's heart broke at the trace tears streaked across her dirty cheeks. "I know you hurt your foot, let me see it."

She frowned slightly, grudgingly pulling her boot off and allowing Adam to examine her foot, wincing as he tugged off her sock.

"Shalimar." Adam clucked his tongue in chagrin at the sight of the angry, red gash on the bottom of her foot. It was deep and already inflamed. He immediately stood back up, grabbing his pack and coming back. He shook his head as he drew her foot into his lap. "You should have said something."

Shalimar winced as Adam started to clean the wound. "You wouldn't understand."

"You must have stepped on a jagged rock or something," Adam murmured, glancing back at her. "You chose not to tell any of us, Shalimar."

She shrugged, looking away.

Adam bent his head back down, wrapping a white bandage around her foot. "It's alright, I understand better than you think." He finished off the wrapping, tying off the end before standing back up. "Brennan doesn't have to know." Her head rose sharply at his words, shocked eyes meeting his. He chuckled at her expression, knowing he had guessed correctly. "But I would rather you talk to him and settle things before they affect the mission." She reddened slightly at his reprimand, nodding. He smiled, handing her a small bottle of pills. "For the pain." She frowned, but he insisted she take them. If it was anyone other than Shalimar with that injury, they wouldn't even be able to walk. _Ferals. _Adam tiredly rubbed his eyebrows, crawling into his tent.

It was several hours later that Shalimar awoke from her drug-induced sleep. It was pitch dark, and it took a moment for her hazy mind to realize what had woken her up. _Oh great,_ she muttered under her breath as her bladder screamed at her in protest once more. _I knew I should have gone earlier._ Though morning couldn't be more than a few hours off, Shalimar decided she couldn't wait and reluctantly crawled out from the small tent, careful not to wake Emma. Cold air immediately hit her as she straightened up, and she grumbled under her breath, yawning, ignoring the nausea rolling around her empty stomach. Her foot felt much better, thanks to Adam's drug, but it made the rest of her feel horrible. She grunted, clutching her stomach as she staggered toward the dying campfire. Jesse lay dozing beside it, not waking as she brushed past him. He was supposed to be on guard. She rolled her bleary eyes, blinking rapidly in attempt to get them to refocus. Trees swarm in front of her, and she finally gave up, picking a spot and squatting down, praying Jesse wouldn't chose this moment to suddenly wake up. She chortled giddily under her breath at the thought, shivering as she stood back up. _Whoa_. The ground tilted crazily before her, and she grasped a tree trunk, bracing her forehead against it. The drug must have affected her more than she thought. She staggered back past the snoring molecular and crawled into her tent, releasing a grateful sigh as she lay back down. She was freezing, that was all her muddled brain could focus on as she drew the covers over her head, seeking the warmth of body heat behind her. _Hope Emma doesn't mind,_ she hazily thought as she pressed against the solid warmth, instantly falling back asleep.

In his sleep, it was the most natural thing in the world for Brennan to roll over and throw his arm around the slender waist before him, fingers splaying protectively across the flat stomach, nose burying in the musky warmth of golden-blonde hair.


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I'm now finishing up chapter eight, so am just a few chapters ahead of what I'm posting! The one nice thing about writing the story as I post is that I can try to fit in any requests. I wasn't planning on doing a side story with J/E, but I got several requests, so have added a small part with them as well. So please let me know if you have any other requests that you'd like to see. I can't guarantee I'll fit it in as I still have to follow my outline, but I will see what I can do :) Thank you SithelfJen, ebony, Mayra, Kerry, hi again, FireFeral, goldilocks, MariShal. Thank you! Rain, I try. :) Hope this makes it even better! Thank you! CatJerica, I had the same problem with my bookmark as well. :) You're the first to comment on the point of view, thank you for noticing! Thank you everyone for all your encouragement! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Traveling Souls—Chapter Five

Brennan awoke to a chirping bird outside his tent. The morning was a brilliant white light, and a cool mountain breeze swept through the canvas flaps. But he was warm snuggled in bed, body curved around human warmth. _Where am I?_ His sleep-muddled brain fought to remember, recalling after a brief moment he was in a tent with Jesse. _Jesse!_ Brennan's eyes flew open, about to shove the warm body aside, when soft curves next registered in his brain. He was tired, but awake enough to know it definitely wasn't Jesse's bony butt he was hugging. Tired eyes focused on the figure next to him, and he couldn't help but smile. _Most definitely not Jesse_. He relaxed again, still half-asleep, enjoying the feeling of holding Shalimar. _If this is a dream, don't wake me up_. His cheek, he slowly came to realize, was pressed against the flat of her stomach; her shirt had ridden up during the night. His head gently rose and fell as she breathed. His right arm was snaked over her thigh and rear, and her left knee was bent, fitting snugly under his arm. Previous anger forgotten, he stared in fascination at the sight of her bared stomach, her skin unbelievably soft beneath his cheek. He blinked and found a new source of wonderment, fingers rising and softly circling around her belly button.

Shalimar woke with a start. Something was definitely out of place. She blinked, and instantly knew what it was. _Oh god_. Her stomach clenched involuntarily, and she found her voice.

"Brennan! What the hell are you doing in my bed?"

His dark head froze, then slowly turned towards hers. Her eyes widened at the lazy smile sprawled across his face.

He contemplated for her for a moment. "This is my bed, Shal."

Her head shot up, eyes searching the tent, seeing Brennan's backpack and Jesse's wet socks. Large boots were propped against the canvas door. Her bag was nowhere to be seen. "Oh." _This was bad._ She swallowed hard, searching for words. "How-how did I?"

"I don't know." Brennan's tone was much too cheery for her liking. "I woke up and found us this way."

"Oh."

Neither of them moved for a long moment.

Shalimar couldn't remember. Everything seemed so far away. _Well, except Brennan_. She hissed as he shifted his cheek, stubble brushing against her sensitive skin. "Uhh—" She fought to focus. "Adam!"

"You're thinking about Adam right now?" Brennan's eyebrows rose in tender amusement.

"No!" She gasped slightly as his breath puffed against her stomach, distractedly trying to remember. _Adam's drug.__ Her foot. _She rolled her eyes as it all came back._ Oh yeah. _"Uh, Adam probably wants to get moving soon. We should, ah, should get up now."

"Ok."

Stilll, neither of them moved.

Finally, Brennan's head turned back towards hers. "Shal, I—"

"Rise and shine, Brennan! You overslept—"

Shalimar gasped as the canvas doors whipped back, and Alex's shocked face met hers.

"Oh, ah sorry." He stammered, words falling over themselves. "I ah, I didn't—didn't know."

Brennan's arms tightened slightly, stilling Shalimar as she tensed and started to move. His eyes calmly stared back into Alex's dark, unreadable ones. "You were looking for me?"

"Yeah." Alex's mouth tightened. "I was just coming to wake you up."

"We're awake." Brennan smiled slightly, cutting Shalimar off as she opened her mouth to speak, fingers stroking her stomach possessively.

Alex backed out without another word.

"Brennan!" Shalimar pushed him off her. "What the hell was that about? What'll he think?"

"Who cares what he thinks." Shrugging, Brennan yawned.

Shalimar stared at him in disbelief, her disheveled hair falling into her eyes as she pushed herself into a sitting position. "You're jealous."

"So what if I am." Brennan whispered, combing her hair back behind her ears for her.

She froze as his hands continued from her ears down to her neck and shoulders. She wasn't ready for this conversation. "But Alex—"

"Alex." Brennan abruptly dropped his hands. "I'm sick of hearing his name."

Irritation flared. "What's the matter, Brennan? Can't handle a little competition? You seem to have no problem flaunting your ex's in my face."

Brennan's eyes narrowed. "I'll ask you again, who is he to you, Shalimar?"

"None of your business!" She snatched up one of her shoes, yanking it on.

"Do you love him?" Brennan wouldn't give up.

She yanked on her other shoe, hissing at the sudden pain. She had forgotten about her wound. She closed her eyes, head down, breathing through the shooting pain.

"Do you love him?" Brennan grasped her arms.

"Yes." She opened her eyes, daring him to ask anything more, heart flinching at the sudden pain in his eyes. She lifted her chin anyway.

He released her, looking away. "Then go to him."

She hesitated. "I have to explain to him what he saw."

Brennan's head lifted, looking her straight in the eyes, expression hard. "And what did he see?"

She stared back, breathing deeply, searching his face, but finding no answers. Her jaw clenched. "Nothing."

She was gone before he could reply.

The makeshift camp was almost packed back up by the time Brennan emerged from his tent. He nodded moodily to Emma as she came up next to him, handing him a cup of coffee. Despite himself, he smiled appreciatively as the smell wafted into his nostrils, and he took a deep drink.

"Ow, hot," He quickly spit the brew back out at Emma's feet.

Emma grimaced, rolling her eyes. "You're supposed to sip it, not inhale it."

"Sorry." Brennan mumbled around his burnt tongue.

"It's ok." Emma smiled, touching his arm gently. "Everything alright, Brennan?"

"Yeah, just wonderful." Brennan sarcastically muttered, taking another swig of the bitter drink. He cautiously rolled the hot liquid around his mouth for a moment before swallowing, glancing down at Emma with a sigh. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just not having a good morning."

"You need to tell her how you feel, Brennan."

"What?" His mug stopped halfway to his mouth.

She smiled slightly, bumping him with her shoulder. "Just tell her."

He frowned as she pointedly raised her eyebrows. "We're not on the best of speaking terms right now, Emma." He gestured angrily as Shalimar stood next to Alex across the small clearing. "Besides she's too busy with—with _him_ at the moment."

"That's not true, and you know it."

"Yeah?" Brennan angrily shook his head. "I couldn't even get her to leave his side long enough to collect firewood last night, and first thing this morning, there she is, right next to him yet again."

"She hurt her foot, Brennan."

"What?" Emma's soft voice interrupted his tirade.

"She wouldn't collect firewood with you last night because she _couldn't_. She cut her foot bad on a rock, saving me." Emma turned to look over at the feral. "It was already infected by the time she let Adam take care of it. He had to give her some pretty strong medicine last night."

"She didn't tell me." _About a lot of things._

"Come on, Brennan." Emma turned back to look at him. "You know Shalimar better than any of us. She's the most proud and independent person I've ever met." She laid a hand on his arm. "You can't force her to open up to you; you have to earn her trust."

Brennan swallowed convulsively at the gentle reprimand, cursing his own stupidity. Emma was right; he should have known that better than anyone. "Thanks, Em." He nodded to her, eyes already searching out Shalimar. She was sitting by herself, leaning against a tree, eyes closed. Alex was nowhere in sight. An odd pang went through him as he saw her shoulders slump slightly in weariness. He made his way toward her, glancing down at her outstretched feet. He grunted when he saw a red smudge staining one socked foot. Blood. He covered the remaining distance with two long strides, stopping short when she looked wearily up at him. He was beginning to read the language of her eyes, and with a pang, he recognized this one. Pain. He knelt down in front of her, trying to understand.

"Let me see your foot." He spoke softly.

She looked away at his words. "It's fine."

"Shal, please—"

"No."

He bit back an impatient reply, astonished she could send his emotions flying from one direction to the next so quickly. He took a deep breath. "Please, Shal, trust me enough to let me help you."

Startled, she glanced up at his words, finally nodding.

He bent his dark head over her foot, gently grasping her ankle and placing her leg across his lap. Her foot curled in slightly as he began to unwrap it. "Oh Shal." He winced at the angry red cut slashing across the bottom of her foot.

She frowned, drawing her leg back. "Adam already looked at it, I'm fine."

He narrowed his eyes, praying for patience. "Fine. But I'm still going to help you as well." He stood to his feet, trotting over to Adam's bag, grabbing it without asking, ignoring the curious glances of the others as they continued to pack up their supplies. He knelt back down beside Shalimar, holding fresh bandages. She was silent as he gently swabbed the wound with disinfectant, stoically watching him work.

Shalimar was right, Adam had made sure it was free of infection, but Brennan knew it still had to be extremely painful. He examined her foot, distractedly noticing how small and vulnerable it looked. Some naked emotion was etched on her face, and Brennan wondered if she knew it was there. He finished dressing the wound, closing his fingers around her toes and squeezing gently. "All done."

"Thanks." She drew her foot out of his lap, wincing slightly as she pulled her sock back on.

"So, where is he?" Brennan tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"Who?" She didn't look up as she loosely tied her shoe.

"Alex."

Now she did look back up at him, gauging his reaction. "He's scouting around, looking for any signs of the mutant who's after us."

"Did you tell him?"

Her fingers slowed, shoelaces dangling. "Yes."

He snorted bitterly. _So now Alex knew there was nothing between them._ His temper flared, eyes hard. "Wouldn't want there to be any misunderstandings about us."

"That's not fair, Brennan." She stood up, yanking her arm away when he reached for her. "You don't understand anything."

"How can I?" He spread his arms, yelling after her as she limped away. "When you never tell me anything!"

Her back stiffened, and she stopped, turning back around to face him after a moment. "It goes both ways, Brennan."

They stared at each other until she finally turned back around.

Brennan swore under his breath, hitting his fist against a tree, yelping at the pain. He curled his good hand around his bruised knuckles, blinking rapidly as he stomped through the trees.

"Where are you going?" Jesse turned around as Brennan brushed past him, shaking his head as the elemental didn't answer. He frowned, making eye contact with Emma across the camp.

"I'll go get him." Emma threw her hands into the air, disappearing into the trees.

Adam found Shalimar angrily kicking at a tree stump. "Trying to ruin your other foot as well?"

She whirled around at his words, the fight leaving her and shoulders slumping when she saw his kind eyes. "I'm confused, Adam."

"About Alex?" He raised his brows.

"Alex? No." She huffed wryly, shaking her head. "He's the one still acting normal around here."

"Brennan is confused as well, Shalimar."

She closed her eyes, hiding the moisture welling in them, nodding.

"And it's starting to affect the team."

She dropped her head, turning around at his words. Adam smiled knowingly, taking a step forward and resting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm not trying to tell you what to do, Shalimar, I'm just asking that you consider all the possibilities. We can't afford—distractions—when we depend on each other to be there. Lives depend on our being focused."

"What are you saying, Adam?" Shalimar sniffed, turning to face him.

He gave her shoulders a final squeeze. "I'm saying, just be careful, and be sure before you make any decisions about anything…or anyone."

She stared at Adam's back as he walked away, eyes wearily falling shut.

They popped back open at the sound of a scream.

"Emma!" She took off at a dead run, briefly noticing the others staring at her in surprise, her feral hearing allowing her to know what the others didn't. "Emma's in trouble!"

The rest of the team dropped what they were doing, taking after her.

"Where is she?" Jesse yelled after Shalimar, stumbling to run up the steepness of the terrain.

"I can't hear her anymore!" Shalimar stopped in her tracks, pausing to listen, panting for breath in the thin air.

"Spread out!" Brennan and Alex both yelled at once, glancing briefly at each other in surprise.

"Adam, Jesse, go that way," Alex pointed to his left. "I'll circle around behind you from the right." He turned and pointed at Brennan. "And you go—"

"Straight ahead, I know." Brennan finished his sentence. "Already on it."

"She's here somewhere," Shalimar's eyes were closed. "I can feel her, in my head. She's scared." She lifted her head, about to run again, but Alex grasped her arm.

"No, Shalimar, stay here."

"What?" She stared at him in disbelief.

"You're hurt." He gestured to her foot.

"Emma might be as well." She yanked her arm free.

"So let me find her." Alex shook his head, trotting backwards for a few yards before turning around. "Just stay here! Watch her, Brennan!"

Shalimar's eyes flashed in anger, realizing after a moment that Brennan was still standing beside her. "What?" She turned toward him defiantly. "You going to try to tell me to stay here too?"

"No."

Brennan's quiet answer cut her off. She stared up at him in surprise.

He reached out, fingering a strand of hair. "I know you better than that." He smiled at her gaping expression. "Be careful." He took off, glancing back at her once before disappearing through the trees.

She stared after him, fingers playing with the same strand he had just touched, rousing and chiding herself a few beats later, spinning around and running.

"Emma!"

She could hear the others calling in the distance. She could feel her, so strongly, almost as if she could reach out and physically touch her. Even with senses fully opened, she almost missed it. A stirring of air, an earthy scent, and she was knocked backwards, slammed into a tree. She grunted wincing as bark dug sharply into her back, already feeling the bruises forming. She gasped, struggling back to her feet, dropping into a defensive crouch.

"Show yourself," She growled, eyes scanning the surrounding forest; seeing nothing. She took a small step forward. "Emma?"

Still nothing.

She glanced over her shoulder and then back in front. Someone was here, she could feel him, could smell a strange scent mingling with Emma's. She narrowed her eyes, placing it almost immediately.

"What did you do to her?"

The wind stirred, and she desperately scanned around her, head turning, fighting the confusion and fear as still she saw nothing. Wind blew stronger, whipping her hair in tangled chaos around her face. Frustrated, she growled, spitting out stray strands, impatiently pushing her hair out of her eyes.

And then she froze.

Straight in front of her, tall bushes swayed at the base of a large tree. Leafy green reeds bent and parted, but their color stayed where there should have been the brown of bark. She blinked, and like an invisible wall, the mottled green shifted, and the tree trunk magically appeared. She started, pressing her back against the tree behind her.

Blue eyes had suddenly appeared in the middle of the reeds.

It was the mutant.

He had assumed the color of the bush, blending almost perfectly into the earth, like a chameleon of sorts.

Her eyes flashed golden, picking up his heat signature just as he flew at her, slamming her head back against the tree. Black spots danced in her vision, and then her body crumbled into the dirt.

Brennan came upon her moments before Alex did.

"Shalimar!" He slid to his knees, cradling her head into his lap. "Shalimar!" To his immense relief, she groaned, eyes fluttering, and he hugged her to him.

"Let me see her."

Alex's quiet voice startled him. He didn't look up, arms tightening protectively around her. "I've got her."

"You were supposed to be watching her!"

Brennan's eyes flared, glittering with cold anger as he glanced up. "I'm taking care of it."

"Fine job you've done so far."

Furious, Brennan started forward.

"Stop it!"

He paused as a mewing whimper escaped Shalimar's lips. He immediately turned his face back to hers, eyes softening. "Shal?" He brushed her hair off her temple, pressing his lips against a cut above her brow.

"I'm ok." She groaned, struggling to sit up.

Brennan braced her back against his chest, glaring at Alex as he kneeled down in front of them.

"Emma?"

Alex shook his head wordlessly.

Shalimar closed her eyes. "It was him; he's here, still following us."

They both immediately understood who she meant.

"If anything happens to Emma, it's your fault." Brennan's eyes bore into Alex's, not noticing as Shalimar struggled in agitation.

"My fault?" Alex shook his head in disbelief. "It's a good thing I'm here; anyone you care for seems to wind up hurt!"

"Stop it!" Shalimar leapt to her feet, chest heaving as she squared off in front of both of them. "We don't have time for this. Emma is missing, and I don't need either of you to protect me." She jerked free of their grasp. "I'm going to find her." She stalked off, frame lilting jerkily as she fought against limping, reaching out to Jesse and Adam as they melted out of the woods towards her. She met them halfway, dragging them back into the thick forest once more, trees quickly enveloping them.

Brennan and Alex were left alone, glaring at each other.

An eerie laugh sounded behind them. "Keep that up, and you'll both drive her away."

They whirled around, but could see nothing but light and shadow darting amongst the muted greens and browns.

"What do you want?" Electricity flared on Brennan's fingers even as flames danced on Alex's.

The laugh sounded again, further away. "I want the research of course."

Brush stirred, and Brennan spun, lightening surging forth, singeing a swaying branch.

"I think it's dead." Faint laughter cackled as the blackened branch fell to the ground. A wisp of gray smoke curled up from one end.

Alex snorted beside him, grunting as Brennan smacked his shoulder. He wiggled his fingers. "Let me try."

"Are you insane?" Brennan grabbed the other man's arm. "You light a fire out here, we all get burned." His eyes swept the barren timber for emphasis.

"That's not what I was going to do," Alex wrenched free of Brennan's grip, and the two glared at each other in stand-off.

"Just let me handle it," Brennan hissed in irritation, forming a new tesla coil.

"Why? You gonna fry another big, bad branch?" Alex crossed his arms, nodding derisively to the smoking branch.

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that." Brennan rolled his eyes, turning back toward the forest. "I've been doing this long before you ever…"

His voice trailed away as they suddenly realized they were once again alone.

Simultaneously, they turned enraged glares upon the other, speaking as one. "It's all your fault!"

The wind mocked them.


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I'm posting a day earlier this week since I will be out of town for the weekend. I'm still not sure how long this story will be yet, I'm working on chapter ten now and am hashing out the final bit of the plot and outline. I think this one will be a little shorter with fourteen chapters or so, but only because the chapter lengths are so much longer. :) Thank you so much hi, Mxfan214, FireFeral, Rain, CatJerica, Saphire Ravven8, Anne, Jessica. Your reviews mean so much, thank you! Blackpanther, I had to laugh at your comparison! That's exactly the effect I was going for, lol. Thank you! Mayra, glad you liked the description! Thank you! Here's the next chapter for you, it's another longer one! Thank you!

Traveling Souls—Chapter Six

The wind died down suddenly, silence falling heavily on the two men standing toe to toe, glaring. Shalimar's voice could be faintly heard in the distance calling for Emma, and involuntarily, Brennan noticed the flash of reason and concern in Alex's dark eyes as they briefly flickered towards the sound. _He cares_, Brennan grudgingly acknowledged, easing off slightly in his stance. Alex's eyes studied his a moment more before mutually backing down. Branches snapped to their right, and they tensed, both turning, searching, but seeing nothing.

They were still alone.

"Look," Brennan finally sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "I don't like you."

"Finally we agree about something." Amusement glinted in the other man's expression. "I don't like you either."

Brennan's lips wryly twitched. "So we're agreed." He shook his head, "But we have to put all that aside for now and work together."

One eyebrow quirked upward. "Whether we like it or not."

"For Emma's sake." Brennan prompted.

It was quiet for a moment.

"And for Shalimar's."

Brennan bit back the retort that involuntarily sprang to his tongue, reluctantly nodding in tentative truce.

They looked at each other as Shalimar's voice could be heard again, Alex's lips curling slightly in triumph as she called his name.

The muscle in Brennan's jaw tensed as he stepped closer again.

Alex lifted his chin.

"Look," Brennan started after a moment, forcing his balled fingers to unclench and relax, "There's something else we need to agree on."

Alex met his gaze head-on. "And that would be?"

"I need to know what your intentions are—"

"None of your business."

Brennan's eyes flared, starting forward.

"Brennan!" Adam's voice interrupted them as he appeared in their line of sight, arms crossed as he leaned against a tree. "We need to talk, _now_." He straightened up, walking toward them.

Brennan glanced over at Adam before turning back to Alex. "Later," He hissed, taking a step back as Adam neared.

"Adam," Alex nodded at the older man, brushing past him as he followed Shalimar's voice.

"Now's not a good time, Adam," Brennan started after Alex, surprised when Adam forcibly wrenched him around.

"Make the time."

Brennan's brows rose, surprised at the intensity in Adam's tone. "What's up?"

"You tell me." Adam's eyes flickered back over his shoulder. "I want you to stop giving Alex a hard time."

"Oh I see," Brennan defensively crossed his arms. "You automatically assume this is all my fault."

"No," A muscle in Adam's jaw jumped. "I assumed I could trust you to behave like a professional."

Brennan frowned, shifting his stance, slightly taken back as Adam continued his reprimand.

"We are on a mission, Brennan. Emma is missing, Shalimar is injured, Alex is here to help, but you're too involved in your macho posturing to even notice."

"But Adam—"

Adam made a chopping motion with his hand, eyes hard. "Your behavior puts the mission and the team in jeopardy!"

Stung, Brennan fell silent, but Adam pressed further, voice harsh, two fingers jabbing pointedly into Brennan's shoulder.

"Alex is not the enemy; I want you to stop treating him that way!"

Brennan blinked at the vehemence, raising his hands appeasingly. "Ok, Adam. You're right, I'm sorry."

"Good." Adam paused, taking a deep breath. "It's important you two get along." He glanced away, face twisting briefly with a hint of inner struggle before smoothing back into neutral lines. "Good," He repeated, not making eye contact; walking away.

Brennan stared after Adam. _What the hell was that about? _He bit his lip, knowing in some way Adam was right, but feeling hurt nonetheless. He pushed his hands into his pockets, shoulders hunched as he kicked at the ground, stirring up a little spiral of dust. The wind blew strongly once again, but this time, he was alone.

Morning gave way to afternoon, the temperature surprisingly warm despite the snowcaps high atop the mountains. They searched for hours, every rustle or snap suspicious in the deceptively balmy breeze. Shalimar was desperate. Emma's scent was overpowering. She was nearby, and she was afraid. The air stank with her fear, heightening Shalimar's desperation as she raked over every tree and bush, snarling in frustration when still, she could not find her. She knew her foot was bleeding again, could feel its sticky warmth with every step, but she ignored it, stopping only when she realized the others were gathered back in their makeshift camp. Shalimar groaned, sinking in frustration against a tree trunk next to Jesse as he held his hand out to her.

"We have to find her, Shal." Jesse whispered resolutely, staring at their clasped hands.

"We will." Shalimar squeezed his fingers, leaning her head on his shoulder. "We will."

They both looked up a moment later as a shadow fell across their faces.

Alex nodded to Jesse, lowering himself to the other side of Shalimar. He bent his knees, dangling his hands across them. "You two ok?" He glanced sideways at Shalimar and Jesse.

"Yeah."

"How's the foot?" Alex pointed with his chin.

"It's fine."

"Uh-huh." Alex frowned dryly as Jesse mutely watched. "Tell me the truth, Shalimar." He reached for her foot, but she resisted.

"I said it's fine. I've worked with a lot more injury than this, kind of goes with the job." She shrugged dismissively, frowning when he caught up herfoot in his hands.

"Shal!" Alex hissed in air between his teeth. "You're bleeding again. Let me get Adam—"

"No." She pulled free, swiftly rising to her feet. "I'm going to keep looking for Emma."

"Shalimar—" He called after her, but she ignored him and kept walking. He watched as she stopped briefly in front of Brennan. They exchanged a few words, glancing up as thunder rumbled in the distance. "Storm coming," He heard Brennan comment grimly. She nodded, standing very still as Brennan suddenly reached up and framed her cheek with one hand.

Alex shifted in his seat, suddenly aware of Jesse's eyes watching him with curiosity. He glanced at the man sitting beside him. "It's…strange seeing her again after all these years."

"Shalimar?"

"Yes." Alex looked back at her as she moved away from Brennan. "She's changed since I knew her."

Jesse nodded thoughtfully, choosing his words carefully. "We've all been through a lot, changed a lot over the past couple of years. It's hard to understand unless you've been there."

A bitter smile flickered across Alex's lips. "I think I understand better than you realize." He glanced back over at Jesse, making eye contact. "As long as she is happy, that's all I care about."

Jesse's eyes showed his approval. "I think she is."

"She better be." Alex pushed to his feet, strolling over to Adam.

Jesse watched him walk away, thoughtfully chewing his lip. Another rumble overhead brought his head back up, and he groaned in frustration as he stared at the gathering stormclouds. Mountains were notorious for how quickly a storm could form over them. But it wasn't the weather that bothered him really, spring storms were also well known for how quickly they could pass. He closed his eyes, leaning his head against the rough bark. A storm meant lost tracks, lost scent, less chance of finding Emma. Shalimar was right, they needed to keep looking.

Long shadows stretched from the trees, wavering as they began to bend into the wind. A wave of tired despair flooded Shalimar, and she lifted her face to the sky. The wind was suddenly strong and cold, and she thought of spring days picnicking atop Stormking Mountain, of Emma.

"I found something!"

"What! Where?"

"Blood."

Shouts, scuffles, an inhaled curse—the sounds exploded into Shalimar's dulled senses. Her weariness, her thoughts of home vanished. _Blood._ She pounded toward the others, stumbling slightly. Loose clumps of dirt skipped across the ground, blowing nowhere. The sky was dark, a deep blue edged in black as clouds quickly took over. Shalimar skidded to a stop next to Alex and Jesse, Brennan and Adam right behind her.

"Where is it?" She scanned the ground, eager to find the scent, heart stopping when she saw where Jesse pointed.

"Well?" Jesse looked up at her hopefully when she didn't respond.

She shook her head, turning away, unable to watch as Jesse's face fell. "It's mine." Lightening jumped down out of the sky and startled her. She winced, the dagger of light piercing through blackened clouds. Thunder followed, rolling across the sky, drowning out the frantic questions being thrown at her. Hands gripped her shoulders, wrenching her back around.

"What do you mean it's yours?" Alex bent his dark head to hers, shouting over the noisy din. Another clap of thunder rang out, and darkness blew in.

"Shalimar, your foot." Adam crowded in, kneeling in front of her.

She glanced down, startled to see bright red staining its way up her sock, dried and crusted against the brown of her boots. Guiltily, she shrugged; she hadn't really felt it.

"Take off your shoe." Adam was already untying her laces, Alex grasping her elbow as he lowered her to the ground. Numbly, she watched as they bent over her foot in the dim light. Wind pushed in and tugged viciously at her hair, and a chill stabbed through her as Adam grimly looked back up at her.

"No, don't say it."

"I'm sorry, Shalimar." Adam's voice was firm. "I've let you walk more than I already should have today. Your wound has reopened, and worsened considerably."

She shrugged again, pulling her leg free from his hands.

"You need to stay here," Alex handed her boot back to her. "Let the rest of us find Emma."

"No!" She yanked her shoe out of his hand, glaring at them. More lightening daggered overhead, thunder following almost immediately.

"Shalimar—"

"No!" She staggered to her feet, clutching her boot in desperation. She couldn't leave Emma in the hands of that madman. She shivered, remembering his cold eyes. _Soulless,_ Brennan had called them.

"You're cold." Alex tried to reach for her again, but she backed away.

"Shalimar, you need to rest." Adam pressed his hand into her shoulder. It felt heavy, and she blinked back tears of frustration. _It was Emma, why couldn't they understand?_ A raindrop fell into her face, then two. Blinking against the glare of repeated flashes of lightening, she wrenched free once more.

"Adam," Jesse spoke quietly, fearfully. "We need to keep looking, we're losing light." His shoulders hunched guiltily as Shalimar looked at him. "I'm sorry, Shal, but we're losing time."

Another crack of lightening ripped through the air, a terrifying crack. Thunder rolled, and fear pounced upon her. _Emma was out there somewhere. They needed her help, why didn't they get that? Brennan...would he? _"Brennan!" Shalimar's eyes latched desperately onto his from where he stood back behind the others. The strength of the wind shoved his name back down her throat, but she knew he heard. Then it was raining, coming down in torrents, biting into her head and bouncing off the ground. Lightening quivered, piercing the darkness, over and over, and flashed glimpses of his foggy outline, his eyes dark and serious. She pushed towards him, but well-meaning hands jerked her back. Her foot screamed in protest at the jolt, slipping from under her, and she slammed into the ground, belly first. She spit the filth from her mouth and groaned as she heard her name being screamed above her. Standing, she pushed on, only to slip again.

"Shalimar, please." Adam caught her elbow, but she jerked free. Her hair, matted with knots, whipped about her face, blinding her.

"Brennan!" She tried again, raking her hair back with both hands, squinting against the mad onslaught, searching. Lightening played again, vivid and glaring as rain hit hard, needles upon her head, and she gulped desperately, painfully.

And then suddenly he was there in front of her.

She stared greedily into his eyes, so dark and warm, immediately stilling, barely noticing as Adam and Alex's hands fell away. "Brennan." She whispered his name. Lightening forks laced the sky, outlining the other three men almost hidden in the downpour, their faces raised, watching. She stepped forward, then fell, stifling a scream. Strong arms went around her, catching her.

"Shalimar?"

She knew his voice anywhere. "Brennan!" His touch was wet and cold, and it tightened about her waist, bringing her warmth and comfort.

"Shalimar."

He took her head in his hands and held her, and she felt a calm, dizzy quiet as he pulled her close in front of the others. _Could this be happening?_ "We have to find Emma." She licked her lips, suddenly afraid.

"I know." He spoke directly into her face.

"The storm…" She almost sobbed in relief at the understanding in his eyes. Rain plastered his hair to his scalp, water seeming to run in slow motion; great drops dripped off his lashes and rolled down his face as he closed his eyes, opening them again in firm resolve. He looked strong and beautiful, and she forgot all the disastrous reasons she kept him at bay. He brushed a wet strand of hair off her face, his fingers lingering, then running down to her chin. She bent her face into his touch. She could only look at him. Her shivering passed, and she was still, waiting.

"Come on," Brennan smiled tenderly. He led her past the soggy tents and back toward the dripping woods, holding her close in the blinding rainfall, pulling her over the slippery earth. She could see the others staring after them in disbelief, the lightening blinking them into vision in bright darts. She ignored them, turning her face up to his, rain running freely down her cheeks, hair tangled around her throat, and smiled.

"Thank you."

He smiled back, the storm too loud for words, supporting her more firmly against his side, almost carrying her. She knew she was slowing him down, that he could move more efficiently alone, but he didn't say a word. _He understood_; she swallowed back tears at the enormity of the realization. Her arms tightened around him, hand curling into his chest as she felt his lips press tentatively into her hair, fear ebbing as they walked wrapped in each other's arms.

Once more, they all disappeared into the woods, searching as the storm raged on.

And just as suddenly, they found her.

Emma was screaming; that one thought formed in all their minds as they raced together toward the sound, scrambling through the slick mud. Wet branches lashed back at them as they ran, tearing clothing, but they barely felt it, skidding to a stop when they finally saw her, ankles corded together, dangling upside down from a large tree, her slight weight not enough to stop the wind from catching her up and slamming her bodily into the tree trunk. She looked dazed, and Jesse roared in anger.

"My, my." The geological mutant leaned against a nearby tree, arms and ankles casually crossed; waiting. "Took you long enough." He yawned disparagingly. "I was growing bored."

"Why you—"

Alex grabbed Jesse's arms, holding him back as he surged forward. "Wait." He whispered into the angry molecular's ear.

"What do you want?" Adam stepped forward, face strained, but calm.

"It's very simple." The mutant's lips curled up. "I want the disk."

"No." Adam crossed his arms.

The mutant's eyebrow rose. "Then she dies." He smiled as the wind again blew ferociously; slamming her headfirst into the tree. Brennan and Jesse started forward as she screamed in fear and pain.

"WAIT!" Alex's voice stopped them again, but Shalimar didn't listen. Before the others realized it, she sailed forward, knocking the mutant to the ground, snarling as she straddled him.

"I'm going to kill you," Shalimar bared her teeth, grip tightening around the man's neck.

The man's blue eyes were unreadable as he stared up at her. "I told you before, you shouldn't do that."

Alex cursed under his breath, and through the pounding of his heart, Brennan watched, horrified, as Shalimar was suddenly flat on her back, limbs spread eagle as the man pressed himself against her.

"You're too slow." He studied her with abject humor.

It took conscious and painful effort for Brennan not to strike out, the rain his enemy as it poured down. He inched forward, aware the others were also breaking for better lines of sight. _They were so close_. His fingers inched, energy rippling just beneath the surface. He closed his fist with frustration, inching closer yet, watching.

For a long moment, Shalimar and the mutant simply stared at one another, and then the mutant smiled widely. "So much fire for a tiny woman." He dragged his finger slowly down her cheek. "You look half-dead, like a drowned mouse."

Shalimar frowned at his words, bucking under his weight. "Try me."

His surprise showed on his face, and he clucked his tongue, shaking his head. "Still too slow and clumsy though."

Anger and frustration flared in Brennan's eyes, his jaw clenched and unclenched. Lightening split the air around them, charging it with electricity. He took another step forward.

"Un-uh," the mutant singsonged without even looking up. Wind roared, and Emma cried out as she was slammed once more into the tree. "See what you cause?" The mutant shook his head in disappointment. "I just want the disk, so simple."

"Alright," Adam called out appeasingly. "Let the girls go, and you can have it."

It was silent as the man tipped his head, considering. Thunder boomed, shaking the ground with its nearness. Shalimar cringed, eyes defiant as the mutant licked his lips. She could feel the anger from Brennan a few yards away, and she refused to show fear, knowing it would only make him do something foolish. She narrowed her eyes, and the mutant sighed, suddenly releasing her. She scrambled to her feet, about to pounce again, when she felt Brennan's hands latch onto her shoulders, pulling her back.

"Wait, Shal," He hissed into her ear, relieved when she stopped struggling against him.

"For what?" She whispered back, voice strained as she watched Emma sway in the wind. "Brennan, we have to get Emma away from him."

"We will." He pulled her back with him a few steps as the mutant turned to face Adam.

"Brennan...He's pretending."

He glanced down distractedly at Shalimar as she whispered to him.

"What?"

She shuddered under his hands. "He's pretending to be human."

Unknown fear coursed through Brennan as he numbly squeezed her shoulders, watching as Adam took a step closer to the mutant.

"Where is the disk?" The mutant held out his hand.

"Not here." Adam paused a few feet away from him. "But I can get it for you."

"Not good enough!" The mutant shouted, as if losing his temper. "You waste my time!"

"No!" Jesse screamed, running forward as Emma's body hit the tree with a sickening crunch. Lightening and thunder came in successive roars, booming, rolling around the perimeter of the trees, fencing everything in, letting nothing escape its fury. Jesse and Adam stumbled to the ground, necks jerking frantically as wind trapped them down. Brennan's arms clamped around Shalimar like iron bands as they were knocked down to their knees, watching with horror as Emma started screaming, slamming again and again into the tree.

And then the impossible happened.

As if breaking the law of physics, Emma's body bent back, away from the tree, in direct opposition of the forceful gale blowing against her. Shocked, Brennan blinked, almost missing the streak of fire that shot out and sliced the rope that bound Emma.

But she didn't fall.

Her body hung suspended in mid-air.

Brennan heard Shalimar exclaim in wonder and whipped around, finally noticing Alex as he stood on the edge of the little clearing, eyes closed in concentration, hands raised. Shalimar recovered faster, leaping from his numb hands and running forward. But Jesse beat her, stumbling back to his feet and reaching up to catch Emma as she was lowered to the ground.

_The mutant!_ Brennan's head whipped around once more, in time to see the man's body fly past him, caught in his own windstorm, and slam into a tree, impaled on a branch. He shuddered in disgust, turning away from the grisly sight, relieved it was at last all over.

The storm seemed to calm, leaving them all looking at each other in shock.

Until Brennan broke it, turning toward Alex in open disbelief. "Wait a minute, hold on. First you're an elemental, then a molecular, and now you're a psionic as well?" He strode forward. "Adam, is that even possible? How is he not like Ashlocke…?"

"…Look, he's dead."

"Caught in his own power..."

Jesse ignored their voices, staring at Emma's pale face. As he looked at her, she felt nausea sweep over her, and dizziness and weakness, knees buckling. Instantly, Jesse swept her up in his arms. For long moments, he held her, Emma's arms instinctively thrown around his neck, his face close to hers, dark with worry. Her eyelids drooped heavily, shadowing her eyes.

"Emma!" Jesse murmured her name desperately.

"I'm ok," She whispered not very convincingly.

Jesse still held her tightly in his arms for a few moments, closing his eyes, unable to meet her piercing gaze.

"Jesse?"

His eyes reopened at her whisper.

"Untie me?"

His lips tightened at the quiver in her voice, nodding jerkily, walking over to a fallen tree and lowering her onto it with ease. It was only then he realized the others had gathered anxiously around them, watching. He flushed, embarrassed, but Emma smiled and held out her hand. His right hand stole out, taking her cold hand in his and caressing it lightly to warm it as the others fussed around her. He was so tired; he ignored the possibilities and implications, simply enjoying her nearness.

Brennan saw and smiled, chuckling under his breath, grin widening in hope and relief at the blush that stained Shalimar's cheeks as her eyes met his in understanding.

They all sat together for a long time, no other words passing between them, until finally Adam roused them, leading them back to their makeshift camp, leaving the mutant behind for dead. Rain dripped sodden and heavy from branches, the only sound as they left, their voices trailing behind them until the little clearing grew still once more. The wind blew, and a cautious sparrow tilted its head, chirping. Its mate answered immediately, and they flew away. All was silent.

No one heard the slight movement of rustling leaves, and no one saw blue eyes open against the brown bark.


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: Thank you to those staying with me for this story! Thank you Blackpanther, Rain, Mxfan214, hi, Mayra, Saphire Ravven8. Your comments mean so much! Thank you! CatJerica, wow! You summarized all the questions quite well:) I'll do my best to answer them...over time! Thank you! Fiery Feral, welcome back! Thank you so much for all the reviews, I really appreciate it so much! This chapter slows things down a little bit, but just for a little while. I wanted to give them a little downtime before things pick up again. I hope you enjoy it!

Traveling Souls—Chapter Seven

"He cares for you."

Shalimar smiled as her words caused faint pink to stain high across Emma's cheeks. Emma dipped her head, not responding, but Shalimar wouldn't give up quite so easily. She tried again, nudging Emma with her shoulder as they sat side-by-side back in their makeshift camp. "You knew and didn't tell me, huh?" Her teasing grin widened as Emma blushed even further. "Maybe I should go ask Jesse."

"Don't you dare!" Emma frantically grabbed Shalimar's arm, relaxing when she realized the feral was only teasing her. "Not funny." She wrinkled her nose wryly.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist." Shalimar nudged Emma again when she noticed her eyes had drifted to where Jesse was packing up the tents. His muscles bulged slightly as he struggled to cram the nylon material back into the small pocket on the bottom of the backpacks. "So when are you going to talk to him?"

"It's not that easy," Emma sighed, smiling slightly as the material popped back out at Jesse as he tried to close the zipper.

"I hear you there." Shalimar sighed as well, chin propped under her hand as she watched Brennan attempt to help Jesse.

"There's so many things to consider."

"So many risks to weigh."

The girls glanced at each other, brows rising as they spoke simultaneously. "Adam."

They giggled, sighing loudly as they turned their eyes back on the men. Jesse held the bag while Brennan stuffed the resistant material back inside.

"But it could be so good at the same time."

"So good." Shalimar murmured wholeheartedly, grinning evilly as Emma glanced back at her. They chuckled again, laughing outright as once again the tent bested the men's efforts and sprang back out of the tiny pocket, spilling down at their feet.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Shalimar and Emma straightened up at the sound of Adm's voice behind them.

"No, nothing." Emma quickly shook her head.

"Just admiring the view," Shalimar added, lips twitching.

They burst out laughing again.

Adam shook his head, expression pained as he knelt in front of them, effectively cutting off their view of Brennan and Jesse.

"Did you need something?" Shalimar asked, leaning to the left as she peered around him.

"I was just coming to check on Emma." Adam's eyes rolled slightly in amused exasperation at Shalimar's antics before turning toward Emma in concern. "How are you feeling?"

Emma sobered slightly at his words. "Physically, I'm doing ok. I'm sore, and my head is killing me, but I'll be alright."

Adam raised his eyebrows. "I wasn't talking physically."

She fidgeted, dropping her eyes. "I know." Adam had just spent the last thirty minutes bandaging her up. Her ankles were rubbed raw from rope, her ribs were bruised, and she had an aching bump on her head. "I don't know what to say, Adam. I've never experienced anything like that before." She rubbed her hands up and down her arms. "That mutant, he was so cold. I couldn't sense anything from him." She glanced back up, squinting in the afternoon sun that had finally reappeared. "It's like he had no emotion."

Shalimar shuddered slightly in understanding. "I have to agree with Emma, Adam. It was the strangest thing. He wasn't like any other new mutant we've ever seen before."

Adam frowned thoughtfully, nodding after a moment, as if reaching a decision in his mind. "I am just glad that you two are alright." He smiled gently, reaching up and clasping their hands. "What do you say we finish this mission and go home?"

"Sounds good to me."

The three looked up as Alex's deep voice boomed over their heads.

"Hey," Shalimar brightened, reaching her hand toward him. "Any more crazy mutants after you that we should be aware of?"

Alex laughed shortly. "Knowing Eckhart, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Yeah." Shalimar sighed, eyes narrowing. "Let them try."

"You got it," Alex squeezed her shoulder. "There isn't anything we can't handle together."

"Speaking of which," Emma leaned forward to make eye contact, hand pressed against her rib cage. "I never got a chance to say thank you."

"It was nothing." Alex shrugged nonchalantly.

"Yeah it was." Her head tilted curiously, watching him. "I didn't know you were a psionic though. I never sensed it."

Alex smiled cryptically, dimples flashing. "I like to keep people guessing."

"Actually," Adam piped up, interrupting. "I'd like to speak privately with you for a moment." He looked at Alex as the younger man looked over at him in mild surprise.

"Of course." Alex stood smoothly to his feet, hand falling one more time to Shalimar's shoulder in a final squeeze. "I'll see you girls later."

Shalimar stared after them as they walked away. "What do you think that's about?"

"I don't know," Emma murmured, eyes already drifting back toward Jesse and Brennan. "Alex has such high walls up; I can't even begin to read him. And Adam..." She hesitated, glancing at Shalimar. "Adam has been more and more closed off ever since we got back from the Antarctic. He doesn't share things as openly as he used to with me."

"You know Adam and his secrets." Shalimar paused to smile, watching as Brennan and Jesse finally managed to pack the last tent, closing the zipper with a shout of triumph. "I don't think Brennan and I will ever agree on that issue."

Emma arched a brow, straightening nervously as Jesse made eye contact across the clearing and started toward her. "You fight over Adam?"

"We fight over everything." Shalimar grinned. "But you know what they say about making up..."

"Is that your secret?" Amused, Emma grinned back. "I'll have to ask Brennan what he thinks about that."

"You do, and you die." Shalimar hissed, smiling widely as Emma giggled in reply.

"Hey," Jesse called out to them as he approached, Brennan behind him.

"Hey," Emma called back, leaning over to whisper loudly in Shalimar's ear. "Don't worry, he thinks the same."

"Who thinks what?" Brennan's face contorted in confusion as both girls giggled again. His eyes narrowed on the laughing redhead suspiciously. "Emma..."

"I'm not reading you," She threw up her hands in protest. "Besides..." She paused, blinking in surprise when Jesse suddenly grabbed one of her hands and sank down beside her, laughter dying in her throat with a strangled squeak.

"Besides what?" Brennan prompted after a moment, arms crossed in amusement.

"Uh..." Her mind was suddenly blank.

Shalimar took pity on her. "Come on, Brennan." She rose to her feet, Brennan quickly offering her a hand as she winced slightly. "Let's leave these two alone."

Brennan grinned wickedly, but wisely held his tongue as Emma glared red-faced up at him. Jesse just shrugged, fingers tightening around Emma's.

Shalimar bit her lip, suddenly envious of his bravery. "Let's go, Brennan."

He glanced down at her, face showing mild surprise. "You ok, Shal?" He wrapped an arm around her waist as she limped beside him, automatically helping her over the uneven ground.

"I'm fine."

He frowned at her clipped words, feeling the slight tension in her stance as she refused to lean against him for support. For the life of him, he would never understand the feral's mood swings. "Funny thing about Jesse and Emma, huh?" He tried again, frustrated when she only tensed further.

"Yeah, funny." She muttered under her breath.

"Shal?" He stopped, gesturing for her to sit on a fallen log just beyond the clearing. "Talk to me."

She sighed at his look of genuine confusion, moving over slightly as he sank down beside her. "It's nothing, I'm just...thinking."

"About us?"

She glanced over at Brennan, surprised at his frankness. She dropped her eyes, unable to meet his searching ones. "Partly," She admitted, heart suddenly pounding at the direction of their conversation.

He watched her, silently admiring the way the sunlight glinted off her hair, briefly wondering if Alex was also a part of her thoughts. He frowned, pushing the thought aside determinedly. "Turn around."

Startled, she looked back up at his command. "What?"

"Turn around," He gently repeated, nudging her with his shoulder.

She looked at him a moment longer, eyes unreadable before complying, turning her back to him, sucking in a breath when his fingers slowly began kneading the flesh just behind her neck. She immediately stiffened, but he ignored it, straddling the log behind her and pulling her back against his chest. She was rigid, breath coming in shallow puffs, and his heart constricted. _Oh Shalimar._ She was terrified. He moved slowly, gently, combing his fingers through her hair for long moments. "It's so soft," he finally rasped, marveling at the feel of the cool strands between his fingers. He had dreamed of touching those wild curls for so long, and couldn't believe he had the audacity to do so now. She made no move to stop him, so finally he swept it aside, staring greedily at the exposed curve of her slender neck and shoulder. She stiffened again, as if sensing the direction of his thoughts, and he moved his fingers again, applying gentle pressure in small, reassuring strokes against her neck. He felt her shiver beneath his touch, and he grinned. _She wasn't thinking about Alex now._ He kept his thumbs working in small, rhythmic circles along the tense muscles, feeling her lean into him. Her back sank against his chest, tensed again, and then tentatively settled against him. He kept up the same motion, pressing and kneading along her neck, down her shoulders and along her clavicles, over and over until she relaxed.

"It's ok, Shal."

His whisper stirred the tiny hairs along the nape of her neck, breath hot against her sensitive skin. She closed her eyes, feeling light-headed.

"Shh, relax, I've got you."

His thumbs ran up the back of her neck and into her hair. _Relax?_ She bit back a groan. _Yeah, right. _Things had been strained between them lately, long hours saving the world from one catastrophe to the next, misunderstandings built upon more misunderstandings. Never enough time to explain, to understand. Never enough time for…_this_. She exhaled sharply.

"Good," He murmured again, palms cradling her head and turning it gently to the left and then to the right.

_So good._ She suddenly had the insane urge to giggle.

The pads of his fingers skimmed down her neck and found her collarbone again, picking up his earlier rhythm for long minutes until she fairly purred, eyes startling open when his hands paused for a moment, closing again when she felt a single finger trail along the length of her collarbone. Her stomach clenched and leapt. _Oh god._ He could reduce her to a mound of quivering jelly with a single touch. She bit her lip; suddenly it wasn't so funny anymore.

His mouth opened, then closed again, fingers starting back up after a moment, almost glad Shalimar wasn't facing him. If she could see his face, she would know everything. Maybe that would be a good thing after all, he silently mused, then it would finally all be out in the open. He swallowed tightly at the thought. He didn't know if he was ready for such a huge risk. She shivered again beneath his fingers, leaning more fully against him. _Too late_, he suddenly realized, _you're already taking it._ He paused, looking down at the woman in his arms. Her eyes had drifted shut again, and he melted at the look of contentment on her face. He couldn't help but grin, resting his arms loosely on either side of her, setting his chin on top of her head. He could feel her pulse quicken, matching his own racing heart, and he forced a slow breath, exhaling deeply.

Neither spoke for long moments, highly aware of the other, afraid to be the first to make the next move.

_Say something, say something!_ Brennan's mind screamed at him, but it was blank. _Uhhh__…_ He opened his mouth.

"Don't talk."

His mouth snapped back shut at her whisper. He felt the muscles in her cheek pull into a smile, and he chuckled in chagrin. Two years of flaunting a cocky exterior, and she read him regardless. He was a chicken. A big, fat, vulnerable, chicken. He chuckled again, arms gently circling around her. He had grown up with an innate sense of caution, learning the hard way that trust was a difficult thing to earn, and to bestow. A heart could only be hurt so often.

_He was so tentative_. Somehow, she found that endearing, knowing he was taking his cues from her. _So much for waiting for him to make the first move_. She smiled, loving the way his hands hovered just next to hers, not quite touching, but almost. Her own heart was pounding fiercely, and she understood his nervousness, his tentativeness. She felt the same way. Somehow, seeing Jesse had given them both boldness, she finally decided, distractedly wondering how long it would have normally taken for them to get even this far. She was afraid to speak; afraid it would somehow ruin it.

Eventually, his fingers started walking again, tracing an outline around her hands as they rested against her thighs. He ran a single finger along the outside of her index finger, pausing to rub against her polished nail before dipping down into the curvature between her fingers. Back and forth, his finger traced around hers, teasing her with feather soft touches.

"Shal," He finally ventured to whisper. "The others, they'll be coming this way soon."

"Hmm," She murmured in reply, lost in the delicious sensation his fingers were creating as they brushed deliberately against hers.

"I need to know," He hesitated until she finally sat forward, peering back at him over her shoulder. He looked away, staring off into the woods. "If the others…if _he _saw us now, would it just be another misunderstanding?"

Her brow furrowed, taking a moment to realize what he meant. This morning. _Oh._ Had it only been that morning they had fought? It seemed like days ago.

He seemed to take her silence for uncertainty. "I don't want to fight, Shal, but I need to know. I asked you before, and I'll ask you again. Who is he to you?"

_Who is Alex?_ She sighed heavily, searching for words. "He's not you."

His brows shot up. _Okay_. He looked down at her in askance, but she had already turned back around. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to take that, Shal."

She shifted uneasily, quiet for long moments. "Neither am I," She finally admitted.

He huffed in frustration, fingers starting to move again, but there was a distance this time.

She could sense without turning around the pain registered on his face. _He's not you. No one else was. _It was as simple as that. She didn't know how to explain it. Instead, she did what they did best; she ignored it. If they didn't talk about it, it didn't exist.

_Where are you at, Shal?_ Brennan pulled away slightly, hands falling back on her shoulders in distracted circles, staring off into the woods.

_I'm here Brennan, I'm right here. _She swallowed, mouth suddenly bitter. Voices drifted towards them, the sound of the rest of their group as they headed towards them, and she sat upright. His hands dropped, and as she twisted back on the log, their eyes met. There, in his eyes, behind the water and fear, was a naked sort of love that made her heart bleed. She froze.

He broke contact first, looking away, his whisper harsh. "It goes both ways, Shalimar."

She grimaced, eyes closing in pain. Her own words, thrown back in her face. _He was right._ She opened her eyes, but he was already gone.

"Hey, Shal, there you are!" Alex's voice called to her merrily just as he appeared through the trees. Adam was beside him, Emma and Jesse bringing up the rear. Alex held out her pack as he approached. Slowly, she stood to her feet, suddenly weary.

"You ok?" Alex held out her pack, helping her shoulder it onto her back.

She forced a smile. "Yeah."

He mistook her weariness. "Don't worry, we're almost there." His arms wrapped around her from behind, offering support and encouragement. She couldn't help but smile in gratitude; he had always been such a source of strength and comfort to her.

"Where's Brennan?" Jesse looked around, holding out the Elemental's pack.

"Here." Brennan suddenly reappeared, arms crossed as he leaned against a tree.

Shalimar recognized it as a defensive position, guilt coursing through her as she pulled out of Alex's arms.

Brennan's eyes were narrowed, watching her. She held her breath as he stared, surprised when he glanced over at Adam and then purposefully relaxed his stance.

"Alright, good." Adam's voice called them all back. "I know we're all tired, but it's already late afternoon. So unless we want to spend another night out here, I suggest we move."

Adam started forward, Brennan falling into line behind him after accepting his pack from Jesse. He looked back over his shoulder, meeting Shalimar's eyes one more time before heaving the pack onto his shoulders, walking away.

Shalimar remained standing, stomach twisting, reconsidering the appraisal she had seen in Brennan's gaze. It was nothing she had not seen before. It was something they all struggled with, something seen in so many of the new mutants they had dealt with over the years.

_Tell me why I should trust you. _

That was the thing she saw in all their eyes. It did not matter their exact situation or background. Every single one oozed a combination of wounded soul and defensiveness. She recognized both the challenge and the threat.

She had just not expected to see it in Brennan.

Or herself.

It was a silent, bedraggled group that finally arrived at the abandoned facility, almost missing it because of cloudy mists that hovered around the entrance. They staggered through the rusted doors with relief, looking around uneasily as they hesitated in the doorway. Brennan shuffled his feet, startled as puffs of mist seem to follow him as he stepped away from the door, tendrils of smoke wrapping around his legs. Adam was the last one in, closing the metal door with a resounding clang. The fog slowly dissipated, and they disappeared unknowingly down the dank hallway.

From outside, it rose from the ground, gathering back across the entrance, smoky mists that closed them off.


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: Wow, what a crazy week! I haven't had much time lately, but finally managed to finish chapter ten after staring at it for two weeks, so am slowly getting this story done. THANK YOU all so much for your encouragement, I can't tell you how much I needed it and how much I appreciate you all. Thank you Kerry, Mxfan214, Rain (not much in the next few chapters, but I'll try to add more for you!), Mayra (you got it!), blackpanther (I'll try to add that for you as well!), Saphire Ravven8 (It's coming!), Fiery Feral, FireFeral, hi, EverLastingDynasty (Thank you!), CatJerica (Oh...eventually!) Redhead2, it's so good to hear from you! Thank you so much for all the amazing reviews, you made my week! Thank you everyone so much! Here's a long chapter for you, and a little more is revealed. I hope you enjoy!

Traveling Souls—Chapter Eight

Dust, cloying and thick, billowed up with every step, and occasional coughs could be heard in the darkness. A small bead of light bounced around the length of the hallway, revealing cobwebs clinging to broken lights and dingy walls. Brennan grimaced in the darkness, swearing he could see tiny eyes glinting back at him from one particularly oversized web. Faint water could be heard dripping from somewhere. Behind him, there was a hiss, and then fire flared as Alex held out his hands in front of him, lighting up the room. Brennan sensed more than felt Shalimar's sudden nervousness as she involuntarily stepped closer to him, away from the fire. Not for the first time, Brennan wondered how Shalimar could ever have been close to a fire mutant. He frowned, not wanting to think of her being close to anyone else.

"Sorry, Shal," Alex called apologetically as he closed his hands, darkness washing over them again save for Adam's small flashlight. "I just wanted to see where we were."

"It's ok," Shalimar quickly reassured, embarrassed her fear was so obvious.

"Brings back old times, huh?" Alex chuckled softly.

"Yeah," The smile could be heard in her voice.

Wordlessly, Brennan pushed past her, moving next to Adam at the front of the group. He could feel the others watching him, but he didn't care. He cleared his throat, and it was loud in the darkness.

Adam glanced at him sideways, but didn't say anything as they continued walking.

"EWW!" Jesse's strangled shout pierced the darkness. He sputtered, brushing frantically at his face. "Disgusting!" He spit again, wiping a hand across mouth. "I think I swallowed a spider."

"You ok?" Emma asked in amusement.

"Yeah," Jesse grumbled. "Adam, we really need to find the lights in this place."

I believe we'll find the main fuse box around this corner," Adam was distracted, shining the light around an intersecting hallway. He hesitated for only a moment before turning to the left.

"How do you know where to go?" Brennan trailed behind Adam. He glanced back at the others, but it was too dark to see their expressions.

"Adam?" Emma spoke up hesitantly, "Have you..."

"There were maps on the disk." Adam smoothly interrupted Emma, not looking back at any of them. "There it is," he called a moment later, flashlight falling on a dusty electrical box high on the wall.

"Ok," Jesse briskly rubbed his hands together before opening the fuse box, "Let's get some light in this place."

"Let me," Brennan stepped up, sparks dancing on his fingertips. A well-aimed blast later, overhead lights flickered. Bright light blasted the darkness, dimmed, then brightened again.

Emma looked around, wrinkling her nose. "It looked better in the dark."

"I have to agree," Alex brushed thick dust off his shirt, sneezing as it wafted into the air. "Hard to believe Dr. Shaw or anyone worked here. I couldn't imagine spending years underground like this."

"It feels like home eventually," Adam smiled cryptically. "After a while, you can't imagine living any other way."

The others smiled, thinking of their own home under a mountain.

"It's cold in here," Emma wrapped her arms around herself. "Wonder if we can find some temperature controls around here as well."

"Not a bad idea," Shalimar agreed. "It is cold and kind of creepy in here."

Startled, Brennan looked up at her words, a strange feeling of déjà vu striking his gut. He looked around, noticing the same eerie mist that had hovered around the entrance now lingering along the edges of the ceiling. He shifted his feet uneasily, unnerved. Something vaguely familiar haunted his memory, a nightmare he couldn't quite recall.

"Brennan?" Emma was watching him intently. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," He nodded after a moment, feeling foolish when he realized everyone had turned to look at him. "I'm fine." He shrugged dismissively, looking around the hallway. "What do you say we go explore?"

"Sounds good to me," Jesse wrinkled his brow, seeing several closed doors running the length of various hallways. "Adam, did the disk give any indication of where this research might be?"

"Unfortunately, no." Adam followed Jesse's gaze. "I think we better get started. Brennan, Shalimar, you two come with me. We'll check out this direction. Jesse, Emma, you and Alex go that direction." He pointed down an opposite hall, glancing at his watch. "Do a quick perusal, and meet back here in twenty minutes."

Alex opened his mouth, about to protest before closing his jaw with a snap, nodding as he glanced at Shalimar.

Brennan couldn't help but feel smug that Shalimar would be with him instead of Alex. The other man's eyes narrowed on him knowingly, but Brennan didn't care. Even though tension was evident between Shalimar and him, he didn't want to leave her alone. Not with Alex, and not in this place. He shivered again as he looked around, taking a step closer to her. She glanced up at him in question, and he held out his hand, offering support as they turned to follow Adam. Her injured foot had swollen severely, and though she denied it, had to be extremely painful. She shouldn't be walking on it; he frowned as she tried to disguise her limp, reluctantly taking his hand. _It goes both ways_. He remembered his last words to her, tightening his hold on her hand. She glanced up at him, suddenly stumbling as Adam halted in front of them. He caught her around the waist, aware she could have easily righted herself, but wanting the excuse to hold her. He couldn't seem to stay angry when she was near.

"What is it, Adam?" Shalimar leaned into Brennan's hold, hiding her grimace as shooting darts of pain rushed up and down her leg. Adam didn't answer, and she looked back up as he slowly pushed a door open, staring into the room beyond. "Adam?"

"A lab?" Brennan peered over Adam's shoulder, surprised when he didn't budge. "Looks like it hasn't been used for a long time."

Adam stared into the room, at the thick dust filming the counters and the musty sheets covering old equipment and beds. Time rolled back as he stared, grime and dusty covers giving way to clean sterilization, equipment beaming with newness.

_"We're not trained for this," he protested under his breath, glancing nervously over his shoulder at the lab bed. "We need more time." _

_"Too late," His partner flashed him a quick smile. "Hope you remember your OB rotation." _

_Screams broke them apart, and they turned back to the woman writhing on the bed. _

_"It's almost time, Ma'am." He smiled reassuringly as he crossed over to her, quickly covering her with sterile drapes and painting her with antiseptic. "Everything's going to be fine." _

_"You don't look old enough to be a doctor," The woman snapped irritably back, sweating and trembling. Groaning, she bore down, her hands tightening, eyes turning pleadingly onto him for help._

_"Evan!" He turned towards his mentor in panic. _

_"Relax, Adam, I'm ready." The older man moved efficiently, snapping on gloves and tilting the table slightly. He looked up at the woman as she gnashed her teeth, groaning in pain. "You can finally push now."_

_Her scream built again, face draining, then turning bright red with effort as she pushed, over and over to his counting. It seemed never-ending, and he lost track of time. _

_"The baby's crowning," He rambled as he assisted, trying to reassure himself as much as the laboring woman. "Don't clench your teeth, Ma'am. Do your breathing. That's it, gentle now. Let your body do the work. Easy, easy." _

_The woman groaned mindlessly, eyes sunk deep and dark as she panted. _

_"That's it, keep breathing. The head's coming..."_

_He stared down in awe as he heard the mewling cry, helping the woman as she strained to reach down and touch her baby. Tears burned her eyes as she looked back at him, and he swallowed tightly. _

_"I'm going to rotate the baby...shoulder's coming now. Gentle pushes..." _

_She let out an overwhelmed breath as the baby slipped out in a wet rush. _

_"It's a girl," Evan announced, looking intently at Adam. _

_He nodded jerkily back at the other man, spinning around as the woman's teeth clenched again, and she rocked on the bed, sweat pouring from her temples as she panted. He pushed back to her side as her eyes glassed over and blood drained from her cheeks, legs shaking uncontrollably. _

_"Here comes the second one," Evan's bottom lip was scissored between his white teeth. "It's tightening, I can feel it..." _

_The woman screamed, arching up, eyes unseeing, mindless with pain. He caught her, pulling her back down, smiling in relief as he heard the faint cry of another baby. _

_"Twins," he whispered to her, "They're finally here." _

_"It's a boy." Evan announced again without looking up. "And a rather big one at that." _

_"A boy."__ The woman stirred, too weary, too sore to even open her eyes._

_He stroked her face for a moment, smelling her sweat and pain and blood. "Forgive me," He whispered, swallowing tightly, backing away after a moment. He walked over to the babies and stared down at them, overwhelmed by feelings of fright and awe. He hesitated, clasping the stretching fingers of the younger baby, gasping in amazement as tiny, moist baby fingers closed tightly around his own. They were so tiny, so helpless..._

_"Hard to believe they could be killers," Evan's grim voice sounded behind him, and he looked up, startled, wondering not for the first time if they were doing the right thing. He grasped the edge of the table as his knees buckled. "Adam? Adam…" _

"Adam?"

Adam blinked, startled when the thick dust and musty air returned, equipment suddenly aged and grimy once more. He stirred restlessly. "Yeah," He glanced over his shoulder at Brennan and Shalimar as they stood impatiently behind him, walking through the door and into the lab without another word.

Brennan frowned after him, leaning down toward Shalimar. "Look at him, Shal," He gestured at the older man as he absentmindedly ran two fingers along a counter, leaving a clear trail through the dust. "I still have to wonder if he's been here before."

"That's ridiculous," Shalimar quickly shook her head, immediately dismissing the idea. "Adam would tell us if he had."

"Would he?" Brennan raised his eyebrows. "I'm not so sure."

They stopped whispering as Adam came back toward them.

"Adam?" Shalimar looked at him in concern. Lines were etched deeply into his face, as if he had aged ten years in the past ten minutes.

"Let's go," Adam brushed past them, back down the hallway. "There's nothing of importance here."

Brennan watched him walk away, apprehensive as unknown dread filled him. He grasped Shalimar by her waist, keeping her close as they stepped forward, half carrying her as she could no longer hide her pain. Mists seeped out of the floor, curling around their feet, and for a moment, it looked like hands trying to grab hold. Startled, Brennan blinked, but it was already gone.

"This place is huge," Jesse's voice could be heard from around the corner as they met back at their meeting place.

"Hey," Alex's brows creased when he saw Shalimar leaning heavily into Brennan. "What happened?" His eyes narrowed on Brennan.

"It's fine," Shalimar quickly cut Brennan off as he opened his mouth. "I just need to rest my foot a while, and I'll be fine."

"We found some old offices," Emma volunteered after a moment. "One of them has Dr. Shaw's name on it." She studied Adam for a moment, watching his expression. "What do you think?"

"I think we should go take a look." Adam started down the hallway.

"Let me help you, Shal." Alex offered her a hand.

_Oh, I don't think so._ Brennan snorted, eyes determined. "I've got her." He looked down at Shalimar, eyes softening. "Let's go, Shal." He walked them past Alex, ignoring the look the other man threw at him.

"Right here," Jesse led them to the office, hinges protesting noisily as he opened the door. "We looked around quickly, but didn't see anything. It looks like any computers that might have been here were removed." He gestured to the empty desk, draped with a dust cover.

"I didn't find anything in the bookshelves either," Alex ran a finger across one of the musty volumes, blowing the thick dust from his finger. "This place hasn't been touched in years."

"Adam," Shalimar's brow wrinkled as she pulled away from Brennan to limp around the office. "Do you think whatever he hid here was found already?"

"Not very likely." Adam shook his head after a moment. "If Eckhart already had the information, he wouldn't be after us now."

"Unless it's personal." Brennan's voice was hard.

"What do you mean?" Adam turned to face him.

"Alex." Brennan's lips tightened as he stared at the dark-haired man. "Maybe it's not something, but someone he's after."

"Brennan—" Shalimar's eyes closed in frustration. "Stop it."

"No, he's right."

Shalimar's eyes flew open in surprise as Alex spoke mildly. "What?"

He crossed over to her, tipping her chin up with one finger. "There's something I never told you, Shal."

"What?" The tremble in her voice betrayed the assurance on her face.

He smiled softly, finger tracing her cheek for a moment, aware the others were watching. "I was raised by Eckhart."

"What?" Shocked, Shalimar pulled away from his touch, but he reached for her, grasping her hands.

"Don't be afraid, Shal."

"I'm not." She raised her chin.

He chuckled in appreciation. "You always were so strong." His jaw clenched, face twisting slightly. "It wasn't a pleasant childhood, Shal. I wouldn't…accept Eckhart's plans for me and eventually escaped."

"Is that when—"

"When I found you." He pulled her into a hug, resting his head on her chin, meeting Brennan's eyes across the room. "When I finally understood the meaning of family."

She pulled away, eyes soft. "I thought I had too, but then you dieddisappeared. I shut down until Adam saved me." She smiled at Adam as he approached.

"I _was _dead," Alex looked away, voice flat. "Until Dr. Shaw released me from that pod."

"Adam?" Emma spoke up for the first time, "Did you know about any of this?"

The others turned to look at him, but he didn't answer.

_Drip.__ Drip._ Water could be heard in the background.

"Adam?"

Adam was staring at a bronzed statue of a wizened tree, massive branches spread royally high. "Hiding in plain sight." He shook his head in amazement.

"Adam," Brennan impatiently walked up to him, clamping a hand on his shoulder. "What are you talking about?"

Adam didn't answer, instead pulling the disk out of his pocket, turning the statue around. Deep creases were carved in the rugged bark, showing the tree to be old, but strong. Two of the creases criss-crossed into a diamond pattern in the bark before disappearing under a bronzed branch, blending remarkably well.

Brennan exclaimed under his breath as Adam turned the disk sideways, setting it into the pattern. "How did you"

"It's the tree of life," Adam shrugged as if it was obvious, "Dr. Shaw claims to have perfected the process of selective mutation. If he did, he basically held the key to life itself."

They waited breathlessly, but nothing happened.

"Adam?" Jesse prompted him after a moment.

_Drip.__ Drip._ Brennan looked up in annoyance as a few drops of water fell from the ceiling, landing on his head. He sidestepped closer to Adam.

Adam stared at the statue, not responding, fingers lingering on the disk, lost in thought.

_"Well, it's done." He sighed wearily, plopping into a chair. _

_His mentor looked at him from across his desk, hands calmly folded. "Mr. Eckhart took the deal?" _

_"Yes, the twins will be separated tonight." _

_"You've done well, Adam. The prophecy will not come true." _

"Adam?"

Adam blinked as Jesse called his name again. His fingers pressed against the disk and with a slight click, it popped into place. They gasped as a small hologram of an elderly man appeared. Jesse stepped forward, poking at the hologram with a finger as it started to speak.

"If this message is being played, it means I am dead. I can only pray this has made it into the right hands and my efforts have not failed. My name is Dr. Evan Shaw. I am a doctor and a scientist of Genomex. For years, I've secretly worked on a research project, one that Mason Eckhart both feared and revered, believing it would either be his ultimate victory or his ultimate doom."

The hologram flickered and disappeared.

"That's it?" Jesse stared at the bronzed tree. "I don't get it."

Adam frowned, hesitating for a moment before turning the disk until another corner pointed up. "I think he may have recorded separate messages." He again pressed the disk and the hologram reappeared.

"Alex," The doctor was sitting this time, fingers folded tightly. "There was a reason I chose you to deliver this disk, my friend. I have told you many things over the years, but what I never revealed was that I had met you before, that I delivered you as a baby, that you were one of two babies born."

Alex started at the words, face paling.

"There was a prophecy given shortly after your birth that Eckhart believed involved you, in part foretelling of twins, new mutants, who when together would be the most powerful ever seen. This is the reason you were podded, and this is the reason you must not fall into his hands again. He believes your blood is needed to solve the gene sequence. But what he doesn't know, and what he must never know, is that I already solved it."

Again, the hologram disappeared, leaving the room silent.

Stunned, Alex sank against the desk, sitting on the edge. "I never knew."

"Well, it explains all his powers," Brennan mumbled under his breath, ignoring the glare Shalimar shot at him as she laid a hand on Alex's shoulder. He frowned, stepping back as more drops of water splashed down on him.

"Adam," Jesse spoke up after a moment. "Who is this man? How is it he was able to get the tools to solve what no one else could?"

"It's hard to say what went on at Genomex after I went underground." Adam spoke cryptically, not making eye contact.

"There are two more points on the disk," Brennan noted, reaching for it. "Maybe there are two more messages."

"By all means, play them."

They froze at the sound of the familiar voice, slowly turning around. They had been so engrossed; they didn't even hear him enter.

Shalimar growled, starting forward, but Alex grabbed her arm.

"You're supposed to be dead." Brennan stepped in front of them, crossing his arms.

"Sorry to disappoint you," The geological mutant smiled, leaning against the doorway. Three more men stood flanked behind him.

Brennan smiled back, hands opening on either side of him, sparks flickering dangerously.

_Drip.__ Drip._ The water sounded again, ceiling creaking.

_Oh crap_. Brennan looked up as with a rushing roar, water poured down upon him. He immediately screamed in pain as water and electricity clashed across his body.

"Brennan!" Shalimar screamed his name, launching herself at him.

"No, Shal!" Alex reached for her, but was too late.

Shalimar slammed into Brennan, knocking him back out of the rushing water. Drenched, she tumbled back with him, landing on his chest, his hands pinned between them. She heard a piercing scream through a loud roar in her ears, realizing after a painful heartbeat it was coming from her as her body convulsed, back arching with terror as electricity struck her uncontrollably again and again.

Brennan could hear screaming above him, and from somewhere deep within, recognized it was Shalimar. _I'm hurting her_. He released a strangled sob, fighting the overwhelming pain, the mad blackness that tortured him with false comfort, and with a last gasp, managed to close his fists from beneath her before giving in to the blackness.

But the relief wouldn't come.

His body jerked spasmodically until he groaned in agony. His head rolled to the side, meeting Shalimar's sunken eyes as she lay beside him, not looking away even as hands fluttered above them, voices calling for them desperately. There was a thud, and then the worried voice disappeared. It was just the two of them, unable to look away from the other as sounds of fighting broke out around them.

_Drip.__ Drip. _

Great drops of water fell from above, landing on Shalimar's temple, collecting in a small puddle before running down her nose. But still her eyes stayed open, latched desperately onto his.

Brennan watched with abject fascination as the tiny puddle of water on Shalimar's temple seemed to vibrate. Shalimar's eyes widened, and then he realized with horror that the ground beneath them was shaking.

He tensed, struggling to move, swearing as numb limbs only sluggishly responded. He turned his head, panting at the effort, looking for help. Shalimar whimpered behind him, and he turned back, freezing with horror.

The wall behind Shalimar was buckling in upon itself, groaning as chunks of rock formed from massive cracks. Crumbling bits landed on her, and she whimpered again, eyes finding his.

_Move._ He pleaded with her desperately.

_I can't_. A tear formed in the crease of her eye, trickling down her cheek.

Inexplicit anger struck Brennan at the sight, and his own eyes flared. _Damn it, Shalimar, move! _

With a mighty heave, she rolled, smacking into him.

Pain exploded behind Brennan's eyes, blinding him as the earth seemed to come alive once more beneath him. Blackness again tormented him, and he swore profusely. _Not now! Not now!_ He fought against the overwhelming pull of darkness, but lost the battle.

He awoke again with a great gasp.

"Shh, take it easy, you're ok."

He immediately recognized Emma's soft voice, knew the feel of her fingers as she ran them soothingly through his damp hair. His eyes dropped shut in relief, flying open a moment later when he realized he was moving.

"What...?"

"It's ok, Jesse's got you."

Emma's voice again calmed him, and he roused enough to realize he was flung over Jesse's shoulder, fireman style, Emma next to them. He felt Jesse stagger slightly under him, and he faintly wondered how the younger man was able to carry his dead weight. He easily outweighed the molecular by thirty pounds. Jesse grunted, staggering again.

"Stop moving so much or I'll leave you behind," Jesse's relieved tone belayed his gruff words.

"How long was I out?" Brennan tried to look around, recognizing the hallway.

"Just a few seconds," Emma's hand stroked his back as he stiffened in remembrance.

"Let me go, Jess."

"Fine," Jesse unceremoniously lowered him to the ground, rotating his shoulder with a grimace. "You weigh too much anyway."

Brennan huffed, squinting up at the other man. "Thanks, man."

"No problem." Jesse turned as Adam and Alex came to a stop beside him.

Despite his pounding head, Brennan frowned in annoyance when he noticed Alex was carrying Shalimar. "Shalimar!"

"She's alright," Alex hoisted her higher in his arms. "She's just unconscious; a chunk of wall hit her." He shook his head, looking down at her. "Electrocuted and smashed; she's one tough lady."

"We finally agree on something," Brennan struggled to his feet, noticing that Emma was leaning heavily against Jesse, hand holding her side. "What happened?"

"The office starting coming down around us, so we escaped into the hallway." Jesse looked over his shoulder as he spoke. "Eckhart's goons ran off the other way."

"They took the statue," Adam grimly pressed his lips together. "We have to go after them."

"They won't get far," Brennan pushed off the wall, unable to hide the gasp of pain that escaped him at the movement.

"Brennan," Adam sternly admonished, "You're hurt. I want you to stay here, let the rest of us go after them."

"No, Adam," Brennan immediately protested, struggling to stand upright. "I can help."

"Brennan," Jesse interrupted softly, "You're soaking wet."

"No," Brennan stubbornly took a shaking step.

"You'll only slow us down." Alex flatly stated, pushing forward.

"Get out of my way!"

"No." His eyes showed understanding as he faced off with the angry Elemental, easily blocking his weak attempt to sidestep him, Shalimar's unconscious legs swinging heavily between them. "Think reasonably for once."

Brennan's shoulders slumped.

Adam's eyes watched them both appraisingly, waiting.

"Besides, there's Shalimar."

Brennan looked up sharply as Alex eased Shalimar's head off his shoulder, arms automatically lifting as she was handed over to him. He was silent; watching as Alex's fingers gently traced her cheek. "She needs you."

His eyes searched the other man's, nodding tightly, knowing what the gesture must have cost him. He tightened his hold on her, staring after the others as they disappeared back down the hallway, slumping against the wall and sinking to the floor once they were gone from sight.

"You were right Shal," He whispered to her as she lay limply in his arms. "He is a good man." She moaned, and he pressed a kiss into her hair. "That's it, wake up, Shal." He shook her gently, trying to rouse her. Her eyes fluttered, and he pushed her hair off her temple, pressing his lips against her brow with a husky admission. "I need you too."

The walls rumbled ominously in reply.

Brennan glanced back up in time to see the slab of solid slate coming down on top of them.


	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: This chapter takes a little diversion from the rest of the group and concentrates on Bren/Shal, but the others will return next chapter. I'm in the middle of writing chapter 12 now, so am trying to add more J/E for those of you that have requested it. So I hope you don't mind this chapter! It was originally two chapters, but I ended up combining them into one long chapter. Thank you so much Blackpanther, Fiery Feral, hi, Mayra, CatJerica (I love your guesses, thanks for sharing them!), Redhead2 (I'm afraid I put them through a little more in this chapter! I'm trying to add more of Adam for you as well), Rain, Mxfan214, sclub. Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement! Just when I get hit with writer's block, you inspire me to try again. :) Thank you! Rachel, Audrey, Mari, Vivi, Rogue, thank you for the emails, I appeciate you all so much! I'm having problems with Document Manager eating my punctuation again, especially hyphens and dashes for some reason, so sorry about that. If anyone ever figures out why this site does that, please let me know. But anyway, here is the next chapter for you!

Traveling Souls—Chapter Nine

It amazed him how a space of only five seconds could be so cruel. Five seconds. That's all the time he had to react, seeing blue eyes and glowing red shimmering against the hallway wall and realizing with a start the mutant had been there the whole time, camouflaged. He screamed, grabbing Shalimar and throwing them under the wide archway of the office door, curving his body over hers, and burying his head under his arms as massive tons of rock and slate came crashing upon them. With a mighty roar, the hallway caved in around them, dirt and debris bellowed up through the air and piercing them like hundreds of tiny needles. Brennan heard Shalimar cry out and curled more tightly around her, screaming in pain as the edge of a slab of slate crashed onto his back. He rolled, heard a crack, felt a flash of heat, and then nothing more but the deafening roar of the earth collapsing on top of them.

Five seconds.

That's all it took for them to be buried alive.

Finally, the thunderous crashing gave way to occasional rumbles as rock slid and shifted, coming to a precarious rest. The ensuing silence seemed painfully loud to Brennan's ears. Shalimar stirred beside him, and he cautiously lifted his head, astonished to see that while bowing under the weight of rock, the steel support beams framing the doorway had held fast, creating a pocket of space around them. Though accessible, a twisted jumble of rock and metal was all that was left of the office behind them, the ceiling barely holding, massive chunks of wall collapsed. The hallway was completely blocked off by a cave-in of piled rock and slate.

"Brennan." Shalimar whimpered his name.

Dazed, he tried to push off her, sluggishly trying to sit up, turning his head to investigate when his body failed to respond.

His heart stopped.

The archway was three feet wide, double support beams running parallel above them, but he hadn't been able to fit entirely under the width. His legs had been buried where they extended beyond the protection of the steel beams and into the hallway.

He couldn't feel them.

"Brennan," Shalimar called for him again, voice rising in panic.

"I'm here," He tried to keep the terror out of his voice, but failed. "I can't move."

He heard her suck in a painful breath. "Brennan, I—I can't see."

The ground shifted beneath them, piled rocks grumbling in protest. Small bits and chunks rolled, stirring up more debris.

"I think it's going to cave-in again." Her voice was hoarse, nervous. "We need to get out of here."

His eyes fell shut in despair. "I can't move, Shal."

Her hands clumsily sought him out, landing on his shoulder, feeling down to his legs buried beneath rock, pulling back in horror as she gasped.

The ground rumbled again.

"The others, they'll come—"

"I don't know, Shal." He groaned in frustration, teeth clenched. "That mutant, he was here the whole time, he collapsed the hallway after they left." His hands scrubbed his face. "Even if they know, they couldn't get through."

"They had to have heard it, they'll come."

The ground trembled again, aftershocks.

"He must have triggered something, there's not enough time." He licked his lips. "Leave me."

"No."

_She was the most stubborn…_ He took a deep breath. "Shal—"

"I won't leave you."

She settled firmly against him, arms crossed, and he gritted his teeth in frustration, fear. "I can't move!"

"And I can't see!"

There was a beat of silence as he listened to her ragged breathing. Finally, he cleared his throat.

"I can."

She raised herself up at his quiet words, determined. "So, we need each other."

"Yeah," He grunted in frustrated disbelief. She would die before leaving him. The enormity of it struck him even as he felt her hands begin moving across him again. She scraped a knuckle on a rock, and hissed sharply, swearing.

"Come here, Shal." He reached for her, guiding her in front of him.

"What?"

She knelt in front of him, and he pushed up on his elbows, sitting up as much as he could, supporting himself with one hand as he reached for her with the other. It was hard to see in the darkness, but he could dimly make out her features. Dirt streaked her face, and her eyes were blinking rapidly, irritated and red. He gently framed her face, thumbing the moistness from her squinted eyes. "It looks like you got something in your eyes." His thumb brushed over them again, and she shuddered beneath his touch.

"Brennan?"

"Yeah?" His fingers ran down to her chin.

"I won't leave you."

"I know."

He stared at her, and she grew still, acutely aware of his hand curving around her neck, of his deeply familiar presence. Somehow, she knew the exact moment his eyes dropped to her mouth, and knew that he was going to kiss her. She stiffened involuntarily, heart pounding, but he ignored her reaction, lowering her head, and let his lips touch hers.

The ground roared angrily around them, and Brennan gasped, pulling away as the weight pressed unbearably against his legs.

"Brennan!" Shalimar cried out his name, hands flying back to his shoulder and feeling down his body. Her fingers scraped painfully against rock again, but she bit her lip, rolling them back anyway. More chunks tumbled down in their place. Determinedly, she started over, feeling out each rock and struggling to push it off him.

His eyes fell shut at the futility of her efforts. "Shal, stop."

She ignored him, grunting as she pushed against a massive rock. It refused to budge, and she pulled instead. Debris showered around her, smaller rocks raining down and hitting her.

"Shalimar, stop." He reached for her elbow, but she jerked free of his grasp.

"No!"

"I can't feel my legs, Shal." He raised his voice, forcing her to hear him. "Even if you could move all those rocks, which you can't, it's no use."

Her fingers felt around another rock, throwing it over her shoulder into the office. It clanged loudly behind them even as the ground trembled again.

"They could be crushed."

"No." She bit back a sob, falling to her knees, fist pressed into her mouth.

"It's no use." He repeated softly, voice cracking.

Her shoulders slumped at his words, breathing raspy in the silence between them. He tried to reach for her again, but she shrugged him off, feeling around for another rock.

"Shal," He groaned at her stubbornness, falling back, but she kept moving, feeling up around the rocks and then moving her hands back to his legs. She stuck one hand between his pressed knees, feeling around, and he squirmed at the action. She glanced back over her shoulder at him sharply, eyes strained and blurry. "You felt that?" She slid her hand under his knee, and he jumped again. "Brennan," Her voice raised in excitement. "If you can feel that"

"I know." Hope coursed through him, and he struggled to push himself back up on trembling arms. He strained to move, to wiggle his toes, anything, but still couldn't feel anything below his knees. "Nothing." Dejected, he fell back down again.

"No, Brennan." She refused to give up, "I think they may have fallen asleep from all the pressure." Her hand had slid deeper to where he could no longer feel it. "There's space under here, something is supporting most of the weight." She straddled his legs, shoving both hands under him, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "There's something smooth," Her voice continued as her hands strained to explore.

_The beam._Brennan suddenly ran his eyes along the bottom edge of the doorframe, seeing for the first time a third steel beam running parallel with the other two. Where two of the beams were bowed, but still standing, the third had collapsed into the hallway, buried under the sheer weight of the rock.

But it hadn't been crushed completely, creating a pocket of space around his legs.

"Shal," Brennan suddenly came alive as the ground rumbled, grasping her around the waist and pulling her off him, "Dig under my legs, hurry!"

"What?" Her hands immediately complied, pushing back mounds of dirt and rock bits from under him. "Why?"

"Just hurry," He eyed the beam as it shifted slightly, growing more unstable as earth beneath it was shoved aside. _Hurry.__ Hurry._ His mind chanted a rhythm as she dug frantically, nails breaking and bleeding. "Pull my legs!" He hollered at her as the beam groaned and dropped slightly. Rock bits rained down upon them. She scrambled back, unceremoniously grabbing his legs and pulling hard. He screamed in pain despite himself, panting as with a final shudder, the steel bent and collapsed.

In the settling dust, he couldn't help but laugh.

He was free.

"Are you ok!" Shalimar screamed at him, unnerved by his hysteria. "What happened?"

"Hey, shh," He immediately reached for her, pulling her into his arms as she struggled in agitation. "It's ok, you did it, you saved me."

She stilled, head collapsing against his chest, shuddering as his arms rose up to circle around her. "You scared me."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Don't ever do it again." She sniffed, not caring his shirt was filthy as she pressed her ear against him, listening to his heartbeat.

He laughed again, hands falling to her hair, feeling her sweat and fear. He pushed it off her temple, fingers framing her cheeks, smiling fading as he pressed his lips against her inflamed eyes.

"Brennan?"

"Yeah?"

"What if more than the hallway collapsed? What if the others—"

"Don't say it Shal, they're fine."

She nodded tightly, and he set his chin on top of her head, arms tightening around her. They were quiet for a moment, struggling to catch their breath. "How are your eyes?"

She shook her head, voice small. "They hurt."

"We need to wash them out," Brennan looked around, grimly aware he still couldn't move and that they were trapped under buckling beams. Desperately, he scanned the ruined office, blinking when out of the darkness, white mists rose up. "Shal," He pushed her off and behind him, heart suddenly pounding with unknown fear. Déjà vu, dread, coursed through him, and he didn't understand.

"What is it?" Shalimar clenched at his shoulders, crouching defensively in the small space, ready to fight what she couldn't see.

The mists shifted and floated back, and he blinked again. Something was causing them to drift. _Wind._ He grasped Shalimar's hands excitedly. _Where there was wind, there was air_. "I think there's an opening at the back of the office."

"You think?" Her brows were furrowed in confusion.

"There is," He hastily amended, straining his eyes in the darkness, almost not believing what he was seeing. The walls of the office were almost completely collapsed, huge sections of roof cascading down. But in the dimness, where once there were bookshelves against the back wall, was an opening, a tunnel, he realized in disbelief. It had been hidden behind the wall.

"Brennan?"

"There's a tunnel." He pounded on his legs with his fist, ignoring the painful prickles stabbing his nerves.

"What are you doing?" She grabbed one of his hands, stopping him.

"Trying to wake them up," He smiled in relief. "I'm starting to feel them, Shal."

The ground rumbled again, the beams shifting above them. Without waiting, she grabbed him.

Brennan glanced up, huffing in sudden surprise when for the second time that day, he found himself being carried.

"No time to wait," Shalimar panted as she half-dragged him, "This place is going to come down any minute now." She stumbled over a jagged section of crashed roof, cursing under her breath. "Tell me where to go!"

Grumbling over his position, Brennan directed her, wincing involuntarily as one of his legs touched down and stabbing pain shot through him. Distracted, Shalimar turned, promptly falling over twisted metal. They rolled, slamming into rocky debris as dust bellowed up in a cloud around them. The whole place shook again, and with a painful grunt, Brennan grasped Shalimar by her waist and pulled them into the tunnel just as more of the slate ceiling came crashing down.

They lay on the ground, panting in pain and disbelief.

Finally, Shalimar crawled toward Brennan, instinctively finding him, welcoming the blackness that danced in hazy spots before her blurry eyes. He tried to reach for her, to pull her close, succumbing to his own unconsciousness before he could quite succeed.

He awoke once to realize she had dragged him further into the tunnel, to where it opened into an enormous cavern. He could hear water trickling from somewhere, and realized he was shivering with cold. "Shal?" He mumbled her name, throat dry and gritty, forcing tired eyes open. The silhouette of her hip next to him drew him closer to her. She wore only a thin cotton blouse, and her jean-clad legs were drawn tightly against her chest. Somewhere along the line, she had lost her jacket. She shivered again, and he frowned; she was as cold as he was. "Shal?" He cleared his throat, calling again, realizing after a moment that she was asleep, sheer exhaustion taking over. The cave around them seemed to generate a wet chill that was easily able to permeate their layers of clothing. Teeth chattering, he pulled off his jacket, crawling over and curling around her before folding the jacket over both of them, trying by sheer will alone to generate more body heat.

The second time he awoke, it took him a moment to remember, and he glanced up, seeing they hadn't moved. His head pounded, and he felt nauseous, but he was pleased his back and legs weren't giving him as much trouble as before. Next to him, Shalimar released a high-pitched hiccup in her sleep, and he lay back down, smiling as she settling back in against the warmth of his torso. He kissed her ear, and then her neck before laying his head on his arm, closing his eyes, and listening to her breathe.

The third time, she awoke him, worried face bent over his, desperately calling his name as she shook his shoulder.

"Shal?" Startled, he pushed himself into a sitting position, sweat dripping off his temple despite the cold. He shivered in confusion.

She looked unnerved, exhausted. "You were dreaming Brennan, a nightmare."

"Oh." Embarrassed, he looked away. He tried to run his hands through his hair, but they shook too much.

"Brennan," She touched his face. "It was the same nightmare you had before, back at home."

"I don't remember." He set his jaw, looking away.

Her fingers rested sympathetically on his chin. "You said I died, left you alone."

He shuddered, eyes falling shut as vague memories assaulted him. _The mists._ It had something to do with mists. He shook his head, confused and tired. "I'm sorry I woke you."

She smiled, and it was then he noticed her eyes were open, albeit still red and irritated. Dried tears stained her dusty cheeks.

"You're ok, you can see?"

"Yeah, I think my eyes watered enough to finally clear up." She blew out her breath in relief, hand falling to his chest. "How about you? You're really ok?"

"It was just a dream, Shal." His tone came out harsher than he intended, and he winced.

"Fine." She dropped her hands, pulling away.

"Wait," He reached for her, squeezing her hand, but she stiffened in pain. Her hands had been rubbed raw from digging.

He misread her actions, and sighed, dropping his hold. "Listen, about what happened earlier…."

She glanced up sharply at his words, watching him.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have kissed you." He swallowed, hiding his bitter disappointment.

She smiled tightly, dropping her eyes. "I know, you were just caught up in the moment, I understand." She abruptly turned around, presenting him with her back as she lay down, freezing at his next words.

"Not exactly."

He held his breath, counting out the seconds, waiting for her to respond. _One, two, three, four…_

Water dripped in the silence.

Five seconds could be so cruel.

And then in the sixth second, he heard something. She sniffed. _Was she crying?_ He scooted closer, curling around her once more, pressing his cheek to hers, the scratchy stubble of his shadowy beard prickling against her soft flesh, pressing a gentle kiss against her ear.

She sniffed again. "Brennan?"

He whispered almost inaudibly. "I want to kiss you."

Her heart burst in her chest, and she caught her breath as his cheek rasped against hers again. Then he began a trail of slow kisses up and over her eyes and down the bridge of her nose. Her heart rate doubled, even as she struggled to focus. _Shock, it was just shock from the dream_. Hesitantly, she turned, holding his face steady, pulling her own away. "Tell me about your nightmare."

"No." He looked as exhausted as she felt, his hair pressed flat against the left side of his head. "This isn't about that."

She released her hold, laying her head down on her bent elbow, watching him.

He hesitated for a moment before doing the same, facing her. He could feel the heat radiating from her, could smell the salty sweat drying on her face. _She was so close._ He closed his eyes, inching his face even closer until he could feel her breath, eyes opening again to see her wet eyes studying him critically.

"Brennan," Her voice wavered, "I—I, today—" She blinked slowly, voice failing. One of her hands found his, squeezing gently.

"Shal," He tried to reassure her, to tell her how much she meant to him, but words eluded him. Her eyes watched his mouth open and close wordlessly for a moment. Her own mouth opened, and her breath was hot on his face. A smudge of dirt was streaked across her cheek, and her eyes were red and blotchy. But all he could think about was how beautiful she was as she closed her mouth and leaned into him. He closed the remaining distance between them, softly rubbing his bottom lip against hers. There was no demand, just his lips resting lightly against hers, reassuring and comforting, calming. Her breath stirred against his and desire flamed within him, even as pain racketed down his spine. _How could he feel so calm and such want and pain all at once?_ His body reeled even as his mind supplied the answer. _Love.__ I love her. _She broke the connection, pulling away just enough to lay her head back down. His eyes flew open, but her eyes were closed, not bothering to check his response, face calm. _She knew_. He grinned, even as she sighed and slept. His fingers lifted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears, sliding down to trace her lips. _I love her._ His fingers dropped, claiming hers again.

He awoke hours later in the same position. Waking up on cold rock was one of the more unpleasant experiences he could remember. The chill in the air combined with his recent injuries left his battered body riddled with stiff, throbbing aches. He blinked gritty eyes, knowing Shalimar must be hurting as well.

But she was gone.

He shot upright, muttering expletives as sore muscles loudly protested the movement, heart stopping then slamming when he saw her bending over something across the cavern.

"Shalimar!" His initial panic carried in his tone, and she looked up quickly.

"It's ok, I'm here." She lifted a hand, not turning around.

"What are you doing?" He dropped his head, willing his pulse to return to normal, cautiously stretching his right leg.

"There's water." She struggled to her feet, one arm held protectively against her chest, the other clutching wet material. As she limped closer, he recognized it as the white tank top she had worn under her blouse. His eyes darted up, noticing that the sides of her blouse were folded across her body, but it was unbuttoned. She self-consciously held it in place with her arm, and he forced his eyes up, to her face. She winced as she knelt back beside him, and he quickly reached up, helping her sit back down.

She sat cross-legged in front of him, holding out the dripping material. "Here."

He took it from her, noticing for the first time she had attempted to wash her face.

"It feels good." She smiled, eyes dropping to study his legs. "How are you feeling?"

He shrugged, pulling the wet cotton across his face. She was right, it did feel good. "I can move at least."

She smiled at his dry tone, knowing it was an understatement. "Let me see."

"It's fine, Shal." He shook his head as she stubbornly pushed up, crawling over to him on her knees, one hand still clutched to her side.

"Take them off." She tugged on his jeans.

"What?" His brows shot up.

She rolled her eyes. "It's just your legs, Brennan. I've seen them before."

He bristled at her tone, hands falling to his waist. "Fine." He unbuttoned them, struggling to lift his rear end off the ground to pull them off without putting pressure on his left leg.

She immediately noticed his favoring one side, and frowned, reaching down and tugging them down with a quick yank.

"Hey!" He grasped his underwear, making sure they were firmly in place, gasping in pain, but Shalimar was already bent over his legs, studying them. "So?" He asked after a moment. "How bad?"

"Bad bruise." She clucked her tongue, bending closer over his calves. The left one was swollen, almost twice its normal size and was an ugly shade of black The deep bruising spread up to his lower back on the left side. She indicated for him to roll onto his stomach, and he reluctantly complied, easing over on his right side. "Hold still." Her fingers reached out, probing his lower back.

"AHHHHHH!" He screamed and tried to roll away in reflex, but she stayed with him, fingers applying pressure. "Shal—" He gasped and tried to breathe, panting as her hand finally lifted. He rolled back to his right side, glaring at her.

"I had to check for internal bleeding." Her knees collapsed under her, and she fell back to the ground. "You feel alright though."

He heard her inhale heavily, and then it was silent between them. His self-consciousness returned as he remembered his pants were around his ankles, and he grasped his jeans, struggling to pull them back up, catching a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye.

She was sitting with one leg bent, the other stretched out in front of her with her head down, eyes closed. One hand still pressed against her chest, holding her blouse together. He noticed for the first time the raw flesh of her hands. The delicate skin had been bruised and torn away in places.

"Shalimar, your hands."

She lifted her head at his words, smiling wanly. "It's ok."

"Uh-uh," He shook his head. "Not good enough. Come here." He eased himself into a sitting position, reaching for her. She frowned, but crawled over anyway, sinking beside him. He hissed in a sharp breath as he took one of her hands, turning it over in his own. "Oh, Shal."

"They're fine," She shrugged, biting her lip as he lifted her hand to his mouth, pressing a feather light kiss to her knuckles. "I already washed them out as best I could."

"You did this saving me." He gently dropped one hand, reaching for the other, but she resisted. "What?" He caught her chin as she turned away. "Shal, what's wrong?"

She shrugged again, embarrassed. "I can't button my blouse."

"Oh." He smiled, remembering her initial self-consciousness. He held her eyes, hands gently pushing her flustered ones aside, buttoning her shirt. His fingers brushed skin, and she flushed, eyes bright.

"I might not be matching these buttons up right, you know." He couldn't resist teasing her, challenging her. "It would be easier if I looked at what I was doing."

More red stained high across her cheeks, but she surprised him when she suddenly grinned. "Then go ahead and look."

His hands faltered, and she laughed. He shook his head, eyes darkening slightly as he pulled her close into a hug. _I love her._ She regarded him with a serious face when he pulled back, eyes darting down to deftly button up the rest of her blouse, then moving back to hers. It was easy to see she was tired and in pain. She blinked rapidly, and Brennan tried to swallow, throat suddenly tight.

Shalimar reached out, resting the tips of her fingers against his cheek, smoothing over the stubble. He looked so much like the teammate she'd worked beside, fought beside, but still there was something more he was showing her. Something in his eyes, in the way the edges of his mouth curled up in relief. "You get it now." She whispered, looking straight into him, beyond the cocky façade, seeing him as he really was.

He trembled, exposed, knowing she knew. _I love her. _His heart quickened, unsure.

She smiled softly. "You're a disaster, you know that."

His brows furrowed. "Shal—" He couldn't finish her name. Her mouth was suddenly covering his, crushing his face with the force of her kiss, demanding that he kiss her back. It only took a few seconds for the shock to wear off before he did, his hands clutching at her hair, bringing her even closer. He couldn't get enough of her, of the taste of her, and he groaned, wanting more. She gasped, and he was encouraged by her ragged breathing, weaving his fingers into her hair, pulling back a little as his back suddenly twinged and spasmed. The intensity of the kiss ebbed and for a few minutes they simply breathed against each other, lips parted and grazing, hands quiet.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time," He finally admitted with a whisper, moving back to her lips. "Been fighting the attraction for so long..."

The old fear returned. "Wait, Brennan." She pulled back slightly, searching his eyes. "I understand being afraid, of the risks..." She shook her head, "But I need to know, is that all this is to you, just attraction?"

Brennan paused, seriously considering her words. The duskiness of the cave made it easier to talk openly. He dropped his head. "We've been friends for so long, I always thought, if this was just attraction that I should fight it, in hopes of keeping our friendship, our team together—"

"But what if it's more?"

"More?" His throat constricted. "How much more?"

She went very still beside him. A little too still. "I—I don't—"

"I do, Shal." He didn't wait for her to finish. "It's more." She didn't move, so despite the pain running up and down his back and legs, he pushed over to her, pressing his lips to her forehead, voice husky. "For me, it's more."

She released a shaky breath, reaching for him. "I want more too."

He grinned, smile faltering when the muscles on his left side tightly spasmed. He grimaced, dropping his head onto her shoulder, swallowing most of the groan.

"Your muscles are starting to stiffen," Shalimar admonished gently, biting her lip as she struggled to her feet. "Com on, you need to move around a little."

"Move?" Brennan looked up at her in disbelief.

"It helps," She took a step, shuddering at her own pain. "A little."

Brennan groaned, managing to push himself to his hands and knees, crawling forward. "It's the best I can do, Shal."

She chuckled wryly as she hobbled beside him. "We make a pathetic sight."

"Jesse is never gonna let me live this one down," Brennan muttered. "When he sees—" He stopped, head dropping between his shaking arms.

"Hey, it's ok." Shalimar carefully rested her hand on his shoulder. "They're going to be fine; we're going to be fine."

"Yeah," He nodded determinedly, rubbing his face against his shirt sleeve before starting forward again, hesitating as he noticed it had grown colder, foggy mists curling around his hands. He glanced up sharply, seeing more of the mist floating over the trickling stream of water Shalimar had rinsed off in earlier.

"That's funny," She started forward, reaching out to the wall of fog. "It wasn't there before—"

Fear. Déjà vu. It all came back. _His nightmare_. "Shal—no!" He launched himself at her, screaming in fear and desperate pain all at once.

There were exactly five seconds to think before Brennan was hit.

One second to see the vapors hurling toward them, one to push Shalimar down to the floor, one to raise his arm to shield his face, and one more to meet Shalimar's horror-stricken eyes as she screamed his name.

In the fifth second, he died.


	10. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I'm so sorry for not posting sooner, I didn't mean to leave you all with that cliffhanger for so long! Our family got sad news this week that has taken up a lot of my time, so I apologize for the delay and thank you so much for all your patience and encouragement! Thank you Lisa, Regan, Mxfan214, x-shalimar-x, Saphire Ravven8, Rain, courtney, AussieMXfan, blackpanther, hi, Fiery Feral, Mayra, CatJerica, Meg, FireFeral! Rogue, thank you so much for the feedback! I am so happy you are enjoying the story so far! This next chapter slows things down a bit for you, it's ironic actually since it's the longest one yet, but yet nothing really happens, lol. :) And for once, no cliffhanger :) Thank you all for everything, I appreciate you all!

Traveling Souls—Chapter Ten

Pressure, unlike anything he'd ever felt before, seized his chest, and he immediately dropped to the ground, eyes wide, frozen in a shuddering attempt to breathe. Misty fog pounced upon him, greedily seeping into every orifice; shoving up his nose, clogging and burning his ears, pouring into his panicked mouth. Death was nothing like he imagined. He never expected to feel it. Pain, brief and hot, and then freezing cold, heart contracting and slowing to a stop. And then screaming, grief-stricken screaming, rising in pitch.

_"Nooooo!__ Oh no! No, no, no, no." _

He was dead. He didn't understand how he knew it, but he knew. He knew it as his heart stopped beating, he knew it as he couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't respond. There was the sensation of being moved, dragged away from the overwhelming mist and into fresh air, and then stillness as Shalimar's face bent over him, tears streaming unchecked down her cheeks as she rocked him, chest heaving with the force of her sobs.

_I'm here, Shal. _

But she couldn't hear him, and he felt a surge of frustration and anger that he couldn't comfort her, couldn't lift his arms to hold her.

He hated death.

There was a shuffle, and more outraged screaming that he recognized as Shalimar's distraught voice, taking offense when someone tried to take him from her. Faces swarmed over, barely recognizable through hazy tunnel vision, voices muffled, disjointed. And then through the din, three whispered words, distinct and clear.

_"I loved you." _

Her head dipped low, lips grazing his just as she was forcibly yanked up and away from him. His head slammed into the ground.

"No! Let me go!" Furious, she fought back, anguished sobs ripping the air as she struggled against arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Asphyxiation." A new face bent over him. "He's not breathing."

Adam's grim voice broke clearly through for an instant, fading as wispy mists again overtook him. _Not breathing_. Brennan stared up at the white mist, frustrated that it cut him off from everything. Funny how death could narrow things down to such simple wants. He only wanted to see all of them, to see her just one more time. Instead, time had no value. It might have been days or it might have been minutes; he couldn't tell. _Shalimar._ Shalimar had been crying. He never told her. He loved her, and she didn't know. He was glad the others were at least there with her. He didn't know how they got there, but he didn't want her to be alone. _Take care of her, Jess_. He comforted himself with the fact that he hadn't left her alone. Misty white invaded, and he faded even more, sensations ceasing. It was all quiet and stillness for Brennan. _Emma, can you feel me?_ Stone silence was his answer. _I'm not ready to go yet_, he found himself confiding to the mist. _It's too soon. I didn't get to say good-bye..._

"HUUUUH," With a great gasp, air slammed into Brennan, and his lungs heaved greedily. Light and sound invaded him, painful and overwhelming all at once. A hand was warm on his forehead, two fingers jabbing against his neck. _What the hell?_ He tried to open his eyes, but couldn't.

"I've still got a pulse…checking his breathing again."

Someone leaned over him; he could sense the nervous energy rolling off the person, breath held, ear hovering above his mouth. _Breathe, I need to breathe_. He could practically feel their eyes boring into his chest, waiting, watching. A sharp intake of air above him, and he knew he had accomplished it.

"He's breathing! Adam, you did it!"

Jesse's exuberant voice came from somewhere behind him. Brennan's heart thumped in his chest, and dazed, he realized he was alive. He forced his eyes open, wanting to see for himself, to know that the voices he heard were real.

The first thing he saw was Adam's nose.

He reared back slightly, eyes refocusing until he realized it was Adam's hand he felt on his forehead, Adam's breath he felt puffing in relief against his face. _Adam gave me rescue breathing?_ Before he had time to truly digest the thought, his eyes found Shalimar.

She was crying, face contorted by grief, eyes glazed with raw emptiness as she sat on the ground a few feet away; legs still twisted beneath her from where she had bonelessly sank. Alex's arms were holding her from behind, his own eyes closed as he tried to share her pain.

"Uhhh," Brennan tried to speak, but couldn't seem to get his mouth and brain to cooperate.

But it was enough.

Shalimar's head whipped around, eyes latching desperately onto his, and she began to tremble. He managed a blink, and she whimpered, staggering to her feet, collapsing immediately, crawling to him. Jesse broad grin appeared in his line of sight for a moment and Emma's relieved smile as she soothed him with a gentle hand when he struggled to move.

"Easy," She whispered, feeling him relax under her ministrations. "Let her come to you."

"Brennan," Emma's voice melted away as Shalimar breathed his name, grief twisting with hope. His eyes found hers again, and then she reached him.

"Brennan." Her mouth trembled as she bent over him, forehead pressed against his for a long moment. Salty tears dripped silently onto his face, and then she pulled back, dazzling him with her beautiful wide smile. He tried to smile back, mouth ending with a grimace, and she chuckled softly, a hysterical half-sob as she held his eyes. Her fingers traced his brows, running gently across his eyelids and around his mouth, reassuring herself that he was truly safe, truly alive. He stayed still, knowing her need to explore, to understand. Her fingers moved down to his chest, skimming along the edge of his collarbone, pressed against his chest, feeling his heart beat. He exhaled, and his chest rose beneath her hands. He saw the realization click in her eyes, and he nodded slightly in affirmation.

"You're ok?" Her mouth trembled tumultuously when she broke the silence.

Brennan's mouth opened and closed for a moment, finally managing to wheeze in reply.

"Adam?" Shalimar's eyes whipped back to the older man as he bent over Brennan again.

"He'll be fine," Adam reassured after a moment, "He just needs to rest."

"Whaa—" Brennan ignored the stern glance Adam shot him, words squashed as he struggled to speak. "Aaapp?"

"He wants to know what happened," Emma translated, hand falling on his shoulder when his eyes rolled towards her in gratitude.

"The mists," Shalimar whispered when she realized everyone was looking at her for an explanation.

"Mists?" Jesse's repeated in confusion.

"It…attacked us," Shalimar shook her head, unsure. "Brennan threw me out of the way, and then collapsed. I pulled him out of the fog, but he had already stopped breathing." She groaned, leaning over so her face filled his line of vision again. "I'm so sorry, Brennan." Her voice broke, "I couldn't save you." Unbidden, tears dripped from her eyes, and she wiped them away impatiently.

Brennan wobbled his head back and forth, frustrated he didn't have the strength to lift his hands. His body felt heavy, his brain tired. His own eyes watered as he stared up into her grief.

"But you did," Adam interjected as Alex knelt behind Shalimar, resting his hands on her shoulders. "If you hadn't gotten him into fresh air as quickly as you did, he would have suffocated. It was very close as it was."

"Come on, Shal." Alex's soft voice spoke into her ear. "You're exhausted and hurt, you need to rest, and so does Brennan."

"I agree," Adam placed his hand on top of her bent head for a moment before walking a few feet way, brows furrowed as he looked thoughtfully around the cave, mumbling to himself. "Mists."

"Adam?" Jesse and Emma followed him, voices trailing away. "What is it?"

Alex watched them, turning his eyes back down to Shalimar as she shrugged his hands away. "Shal," He tried again. "Come lay down."

"No," She couldn't seem to stop herself from crying and that angered her for some reason. It made her feel weak. "I'm not leaving him."

Brennan's eyes had closed, but opened again at her words, distraught when he saw her crying. He made a small noise in the back of his throat as Alex took Shalimar into his arms, burying her face into his shoulder. Alex's eyes met his over her head, and his arms tightened around her.

_Let me take her._ Agitated, Brennan's eyes screamed back at him, face grimacing as he shakily lifted a hand toward her.

The muscle in Alex's jaw flexed. "Shal, come on." He turned her, pulling her around. "You're exhausted, and Brennan needs to rest more than anything else right now, you can be with him later."

Shalimar's cheek was pressed into Alex's chest as his hand held her close and firm. He took a step, and she stumbled, tensing when she heard a moan. _Was that Brennan?_ The vibrations of Alex's voice as he whispered soothingly came through the soft cotton of his shirt, and she felt him walk her away from everyone. She went numbly, unable to think, to understand. They walked to the back of the cave. Cold came off the ground, and she shivered. A more violent shudder passed through her, but Alex held her still as she shook, then gently eased her down, where they sat side by side in the dark.

Brennan watched helplessly as they disappeared from his line of vision, the sight of Shalimar crying in another man's arms burning into his eyelids even as he slipped back into darkness.

He awoke with a start, shivering from cold and pain. It felt like hours had passed, but he had no real concept of time, everything blurred. But he could breathe. He took a moment to absorb that thought, turning his head when he realized he was alone. Bitter disappointment shot through him when he realized Shalimar wasn't with him. He remembered her with Alex, and jealousy reared up within. He was a fool; envisioning she would have been beside him the whole time. He placed his hands on either side of him, giving a determined shove.

"Adam." A feminine voice he recognized as Emma brought attention to him, and he fought the swirling nausea, gritting his teeth until he was sitting upright.

"Whoa, careful." Jesse reached him first, catching him as he slumped to the side.

"How are you feeling?" Adam knelt in front of him, ignoring Brennan as he tried ineffectively to swat his hand away, firmly planting a hand against his forehead, feeling for fever.

Brennan shook his head, throat burning, relieved when Emma handed him a canteen. His hand shook as he lifted the water to his mouth, instantly choking when he tried to swallow, humiliated when water bubbled back out of his mouth and ran down his chin.

"Easy," Adam admonished, pulling the canteen away. "Small sips only."

He nodded, turning his head away from them.

"Can you talk?" Adam pressed him despite his mood.

"Yeah," Brennan finally rasped, voice harsh and low, wincing slightly when Emma reached up and wiped his chin for him. His eyes darted up to hers and then back down again.

"Good," Adam looked pleased, and despite himself, Brennan was curious. He lifted his eyes, and Adam intuitively read his questioning gaze. "Nitrogen. You were very lucky."

Brennan brows shot up, jealousy momentarily forgotten.

Adam gestured with one hand. "One of the damaging environmental effects in this area is nitrogen pollutants, carried through the mountain by wind. When it hits the glaciers within these mountains, the gaseous nitrogen is chilled and condensed into liquid nitrogen."

"I don't get it," Jesse shrugged, not following. "Liquid nitrogen is non-toxic."

Adam smiled at his impatience. "Well, I believe the fog could be some sort of crystallized liquid nitrogen."

Tiredly, Brennan shook his head. "So the mists—"

"In a small, confined space like this, liquid nitrogen can inadvertently condense oxygen and vaporize, making it very deadly. You were nearly asphyxiated."

Brennan nodded. Something didn't seem to quite add up, the eerie way the fog had moved hovered in his memory, but he was too exhausted to sort it all out. He groaned, holding his head. Whatever the hell had happened, they had saved him, and he was pouting like a spoiled child, jealousy twisting his stomach. He sighed, feeling the others watching him. "Thanks, Adam." He finally murmured as the silence stretched on.

The older man nodded back.

"I'm just glad we got here in time," Jesse stood to his feet, clasping Brennan on the shoulder. "That was too close, bro."

Brennan looked up, another thought suddenly hitting him. "How—" He broke off suddenly as a choking cough cut the air from his throat, wheezing painfully. "How'd you get here?"

"Emma found you," Jesse smiled proudly at the redhead as she smiled and shook her head. Brennan couldn't help but notice they edged closer to each other, fingers brushing unobtrusively. He looked away at the bitter reminder of what he didn't have. _But what if it's more?_ Had he only dreamed she said those words to him?

"I didn't do anything," Emma countered, "It was Jesse."

Brennan rolled his eyes as they again exchanged secret smiles.

Adam cleared his throat at their antics. "It took us a while to realize the geological mutant wasn't with the others. By the time we discovered it, we heard the cave-in. Emma sensed you were alive, but it took us a while to find you. Fortunately, the actual cave-in was confined to a relatively small section of the hallway. Jesse was able to phase us through the collapsed rock and into the office."

"We almost lost hope when we saw the huge chunks of ceiling and wall that had fallen, it was total destruction." Jesse's face turned serious. "I don't know how you guys survived it."

"It must have been horrible," Emma whispered softly.

Brennan dropped his head, remembering. _I want more too._ Horrible and wonderful all at the same time. He glanced back up as Adam stood to his feet, groaning as his knees cracked in protest. He smiled slightly at the pained expression on the older man's face. They had all been through a lot. He raised the canteen to his dry lips, taking another swallow.

"It's late, I think we better stay here, rest and regroup." Adam's face grew distant for a moment as he looked around the large cave. "We need to keep looking for that research, but I'd also like to explore this tunnel a bit, I have a feeling it may hold some surprises for us as well."

Emma sighed heavily. "I think I preferred the tents, at least then I could see the stars." She tipped her head up toward Jesse as he took a step closer to her. "But at least we should be safe. I doubt even that mutant could get through all this rock."

Jesse gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. "I think I'll go take a look around, see what I can find."

She smiled up at him, calling after him as he walked away. "Just stay away from the river, I promised Shal I'd keep you guys away for a little while."

Jesse waved his hand in understanding, disappearing down a tunnel that veered away from the water.

Adam nodded as well. "I'll go see what we have for food." He pointed a finger at Brennan. "And you, take it easy. I need you strong tomorrow."

Brennan reached up, clasping his hand. "Thanks, Adam." He turned his head, pressing his mouth against his shoulder to suppress a cough, shivering.

Emma stayed with Brennan, watching Adam walk away. The air was cold, and she sank down on the rock, wrapping her arms around her drawn-up knees. Her ribs still hurt, and she exhaled slowly, laying her head on her arms.

Brennan ignored her, thoughts growing morose as he sipped mindlessly from the canteen. It was painfully obvious that Shalimar didn't care that he was awake. She had been glad to see him alive, but apparently that was good enough for her. She was nowhere in sight. And neither was Alex. He hissed in a breath, teeth clenched as he remembered the taste of her kiss, now bitter in his mouth. He took another drink.

Emma sensed his frustration, confused by his dark emotions. "What's wrong, Brennan?"

His eyes held hers. "Where is she, Emma?"

She studied him, and he almost resented her for a moment, immediately feeling guilty for thinking such a thing. She smiled slightly. "It's ok, Brennan."

He looked back up at her.

"She was here, you know, the whole time you slept."

"But—"

"I had a hard time convincing her to leave, even for a moment. She needed a break, Brennan. I sent her down to the river to wash up."

He took a moment to absorb that. "And Alex?"

"Is sleeping. He's been watching guard for hours."

He was a fool. Brennan ducked his head, embarrassed his jealousy was so obvious. Emma chuckled slightly, making him blush. They sat in silence for long moments, Brennan squirming uncomfortably as a more pressing need slowly became apparent. He had been so dehydrated earlier, but now… He winced, shifting uneasily. "Uh, Em—"

She smiled in understanding, pointing to a third tunnel branching off. "We designated that area over there; it seemed to be the furthest away…" She shrugged, grimacing.

"Yeah." Brennan shook his head, eyeing the distance from his current position to the tunnel. It couldn't be more than twenty feet, but it might as well be twenty miles. He rubbed his eyes, groaning under his breath.

Emma watched him for a moment. "You know, I could always get Jesse to help you."

"Uh, no, that's ok." Brennan sucked in breath, hastily shoving himself to his feet, causing Emma to chuckle. He shot her a mock glare, hand pressed to his side as he hobbled stubbornly away. It took him a while to get there, but he felt much better as he slowly made his way back down the dark tunnel. After being either flat on his back or carried for so long, it felt good to be standing on his own two feet, _er__ kind of standing_, he chuckled wryly to himself as he paused to lean heavily against the cold roughly-hewn rock wall. His bruised left side pulled painfully as he eventually straightened, but the sharpness wasn't as bad as before, and he was grateful he had always been a fast healer. Dripping water from somewhere in the dark reminded him of Shalimar, and he changed directions, making his way toward the little river. She was still there, kneeling down by its edge, slowly and carefully buttoning her blouse. Damp curls ran down her back, and he couldn't help but smile, quickening his step. He froze a few steps later when he saw a few tendrils of fog playing around her feet.

"Shal!"

His terror startled her, and she whipped around just as he slammed into her, rolling them over and over. She landed on top, blinking in surprise. "Brennan?" Her words were breathy, wind knocked out of her, eyes wide with fearful dread. "What is it?"

"Mists," He panted, muscles screaming at him in fresh pain, rock bits digging into his bruised back.

"Oh." She slumped in relief, even as he hastily pulled her off him, eyes searching. "Brennan." She reached up, cupping his cheek, bringing his face back down to hers. "It's ok."

"But—"

"It's just a few stray wisps that have been lingering over the water," She reassured, "Adam said it's not enough to be harmful anymore."

"Ohhhh," He groaned, a mixture of relief and disbelief, burying his face in her shoulder. "That hurt."

She chuckled, arms circling around his neck.

She smelled fresh and clean, and he dug his nose into her damp hair, breathing deeply. The urge to cough tickled his parched throat, but he suppressed it, eyes falling shut in the prevailing quiet.

"You're awake." She finally broke the silence between them, turning her head and pressing a kiss into his hair.

Concern and love was evident in her tone, and he winced as he remembered his earlier thoughts. "I'm sorry, Shal."

"For what?" She pulled back, brows wrinkled in confusion.

Looking into her trusting eyes, he found himself unable to explain. He shook his head, at a loss for words.

"Brennan?"

His eyes crinkled, voice husky. "Let's go back, huh?"

"Yeah." She smiled, laughing outright as they shuffled awkwardly to their feet, hanging onto each other as they tottered down the tunnel like an aged couple. "You know," Shalimar studied the way he was waddling, tipping a teasing smile up to him. "That's a very sexy look."

"Oh shut up."

Emma looked up, smiling as Brennan and Shalimar hobbled toward her, holding each other and laughing softly. "Jesse," She nudged the dozing Molecular next to her. "Look."

A grin broke out over Jesse's sleepy face as he watched them near. He opened his mouth.

"Don't tease," Emma softly chided, "Let them be."

His mouth snapped shut. "Sometimes you know too much for your own good, you know that?"

Her eyes twinkled up at him as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer in the darkness. "Uh-huh, it doesn't take a psionic to know what you're thinking right now," She teased him.

He waggled his eyebrows at her, eyes watching as Brennan and Shalimar shuffled by. "Good night, guys." He waited until they passed before promptly silencing Emma's giggles with a kiss.

_If only Adam knew_, Shalimar snorted to herself as she heard them kiss, even as she settled next to Brennan, grateful for the cloak of darkness.

"What are you smiling about?" Brennan whispered as he rested his head on his bent elbow. His free hand reached out, pulling her close. She didn't answer, nestling a leg between his bent knees, shivering as his fingers teased the edge of her blouse, caressing the skin beneath. Her eyes closed, breath shallow as they lay in silence for a few minutes, adjusting to the newness of being so close.

"Hey," He finally whispered when she reopened her eyes.

"Hey," She shyly returned, fingers reaching up to find his face.

"How're your hands?" He tilted his head, pressing a kiss against her knuckles.

"Sore," She admitted softly, smiling as he kissed them again. "But getting better all the time."

Brennan opened his mouth to respond, tensing as a coughing spell hit him instead. He pulled away, groaning as the painful spasms ripped through his chest. Shalimar's hands landed on his heaving back, soothing him.

"Should I get Adam?"

"No," He gasped between coughs, "I'm fine." After a few more tense minutes, the spell was over. He panted, rolling over onto his back, spent.

A figure approached them in the dark, and he narrowed his eyes as he recognized the broad frame. _Alex_. Shalimar had risen to her feet, talking to him softly. He couldn't hear what they were saying.

After a few minutes, and a sharp glance at Brennan, Alex nodded, pulling her into a quick hug. "Love you."

"Right back at you."

The man pressed a quick kiss into her hair before releasing her.

_That he heard._ Tensing, Brennan growled under his breath, bristling in challenge.

Alex paused to kneel in front of him, eyes wry with concern and acute awareness. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Brennan grunted, jaw clenched. It annoyed him even more that the man seemed to read him so easily. He glared at his back as he stood back up. Unbidden, flashes of her touching him, of him holding her in his arms, swept through Brennan, and jealousy returned full force.

Shalimar was smiling as she lay back down beside him, nestling up against him as he remained on his back. "Where were we?" She whispered with a grin, smile faltering when he failed to respond. "Brennan? What's wrong?"

"Alex," Brennan pulled back, voice distant. "You said you loved him."

"I do," Shalimar reached for Brennan, frowning when his head turned away from her kiss. "Like a brother, like Jesse."

"But he's not your brother, not really."

"So?" She shrugged, not understanding. "Neither is Jesse."

"So does he know that?" Brennan prompted.

Her mouth twitched. He was cute when he was jealous. She nodded, voice taking on a teasing tone. "I think so." Her grin widened, trying to kiss him again, sighing petulantly when he turned his head again. "What?"

"How can he ever think of you in just a brotherly way, after you were lovers?"

"Who said we were lovers?"

His face turned sharply back to hers when she laughed at the suggestion. "He said he knew you for three years—"

"Brennan," She lifted a hand, carefully resting a palm against his cheek. "I was only fifteen when Adam found me, and that was after Alex disappeared. I thought you knew that."

"Oh." Brennan had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "I guess I never thought about it that far." He frowned, chewing his lip. "Then why does he look at you that way?"

She sighed, dropping her hand in annoyance. "What way?"

"You know," His jaw flexed, "Possessive, like you belong to him."

"In some ways, I do." She shook her head. "Do we have to do this now?" She pressed a kiss against his shoulder, but he didn't respond. "I guess we do." She sighed, letting him go. "Look, Brennan. I love Alex, and he and I share something very special. I escaped a—a terrible place when I was only twelve years old. I was lost. He was there for me during long, hard years when no one else was." She paused, searching, eyes painful. "Don't ask me to explain it more than that, I can't."

He glanced at her, conflicted. "I don't know how I'm supposed to take that."

"I thought you finally understood."

"Apparently, I don't!"

"Leave it alone Brennan, he's not you, ok?" She rolled away. "You're supposed to trust me."

"Because he's not me?" Brennan hissed, brows rising as he struggled to sit up. "I didn't understand it the first time Shal, and I don't now."

She turned a sad face towards him. "Then what are doing here, Brennan?"

His mouth gaped in frustration, and he shook his head, not following.

She turned back away, exhausted, suddenly too tired to deal with anymore. "I can't do this right now."

He stared at her, waiting, plopping back down in frustration when she didn't move. "Fine." He rolled to his right side, so his back was to hers, glaring when he came face to face with a cuddling Jesse and Emma only a few feet away. They were asleep, wrapped contentedly in each other's arms. He groaned, slamming his eyes shut, seriously nauseated. Maybe Adam had the right idea after all. Romance seemed to get in the way of everything, messing up the team dynamic.

His left side throbbed lonely in return.

Sleep wouldn't come as the night wore on, and finally, exhausted, he groaned, pushing himself into a sitting position, leaning forward into his elbows, the boniness of them piercing his knees.

It was his own fault, irrational jealousy clouding his judgment. He couldn't seem to see anything past Alex, and it was destroying something that had just barely begun. _When would he learn?_ His eyes stung, and his head bowed. "I'm sorry, Shal."

She laid alone, eyes burning, when his whisper came out of the darkness. She sucked in a breath, suddenly understanding the meaning of those same words whispered earlier. She sighed, turning, but seeing his stricken face, reached for him. He tried to smile, but failed, drawing her to him in a gulp of a choked-back cry and buried her head into his shoulder. She pushed her nose into the warm curve, frustration forgotten, reliving the painful horror of seeing him die in her place.

His heart constricted as he felt her arms tighten, her fists grab his shirt. He remembered earlier that day, when she had cried from sheer exhaustion. He set his chin over her head, and stared out into the darkness. She had been in Alex's arms then. But now she was in his arms, and she didn't cry.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: Life has once again kept me from being able to write as much as I would like, but I finally managed to finish chapter 12, and I hope to get chapter 13 written this weekend! It looks like there will be 14 or 15 chapters total to this story. Thank you to Rain, Mxfan214 (you'll find out soon!), Fiery Feral, Mayra, Redhead 2 (thank you for both reviews!),Saphire Ravven8 (I had to laugh when I read your comments, I never thought about it that way before!). Meg, your review made my week, thank you! Hi, Brennan's "death" will be addressed a little more in chapter 13, but yes, technically speaking he was not dead because he was able to be revived. Stopping his heart and not just his breathing would have been more close to being dead, but what we always see on TV and movies with people being revived from CPR is incorrect. I've been a Certified First Responder for nine years now, and the first thing we learn is that CPR cannot restart a heart, it only keeps the blood circulating until professional help arrives. Being in a cave with no equipment and the electrical guy the victim, I had to stick to stopping Brennan's breathing only, and not his heart, hence Adam doing rescue breathing and not CPR. Long explanation, but hope that helps:) But anyway, here's another long chapter for you, I hope you enjoy it!

Traveling Souls—Chapter Eleven

The air was damp and cold when Brennan awoke. Awareness came in graduating degrees; aching muscles that had stiffened during the night, the damp slate that permeated his clothing, the warmth of Shalimar's hand tucked under his. They had turned during the night, Brennan stretched out on his right side, Shalimar huddling against his broad back, small arms holding him like a giant teddy bear. He blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the dimness of the cave. Jesse and Emma were still asleep, wrapped in each other's arms, Jesse snoring lightly into Emma's ear. He smiled at the sight, freezing slightly when he heard a shuffle. He lifted his eyes, catching Adam's knowing gaze as he walked past his cuddling team. _So much for Adam not knowing_, Brennan winced. They should have known they couldn't keep such a thing from the older man. He was too smart not to know. A small smile played around Adam's lips as he walked past, and Brennan chuckled appreciatively, smile fading when he noticed Alex was nowhere in sight. He didn't trust the man. Shalimar did, but Brennan knew better than anyone how love could color one blind. He had become a mark one too many times because of love. He frowned, squeezing her cold fingers protectively, gently lifting her arms as he slid out from her grasp. She stirred, parted lips releasing a sigh, arms instinctively wrapping around herself in the cold. He gingerly sat up, feeling every ache and pull from his bruised body as he shrugged off his jacket, placing it around her shoulders and tucking it under her chin. He paused for a half minute, gathering his breath before lunging to his feet with a muffled groan. Once on his feet, he could see Alex down by the water. When he spotted Brennan, he nodded in acknowledgement. Brennan crossed the length of the cave, refusing to limp as the other man watched him approach.

"Hey," Brennan nodded curtly to him as he knelt by the water's edge.

"Morning." Alex returned in greeting. He was sitting on a rocky outcrop, eating a breakfast bar.

Brennan's knees creaked as he leaned forward, taking a deep breath before plunging his entire head under the water. Complete, heavy silence wrapped around him for a moment, and then he came back up gasping for air. He slicked his hair back with both hands, shivering at the water, ice cold from glacial runoff.

"Hungry?" Alex handed him another wrapped bar, gesturing to him to sit down.

Brennan reluctantly sat down next to him, not quite able to hide the grimace as his lower back made contact with the rough wall. He saw Alex glance at him sideways, grateful when he stayed silent. His stomach growled as he unwrapped the small bar, suddenly famished. "It's good," He mumbled begrudgingly around a big bite.

A small smile flitted across Alex's lips, and Brennan suddenly wondered just how far his psionic abilities went. He flushed slightly at the idea of his thoughts being read. He knew he was being irrational and childish in his behavior; he just didn't want to admit it to anyone else.

"I was just thinking how good an omelet would be right now," Alex broke the silence after a moment. "With bacon, cheese, tomatoes..."

Brennan groaned in hunger. "And peppers, red and green both." His mouth watered as he pictured it in his mind.

"And ketchup on top." They glanced at each other in surprise as they both spoke simultaneously.

Alex's mouth quirked. "You too?"

"Yeah," Brennan couldn't help but smile back. He didn't know anyone else who liked ketchup on their eggs. The rest of the team always made faces at his choice of topping.

They fell silent, munching on their bars.

"How're you feeling?" Alex didn't look at Brennan as he finally spoke again.

Brennan shifted slightly, uncomfortable. This was the first time he had actually taken the time to carry on a conversation with him. It had been easier to hate him from afar. "Better." He finally answered

"Good," Alex nodded.

They fell silent again.

Brennan took another bite, his chewing loud in the heavy silence. He crinkled the discarded wrapping between his fingers.

"How's Shal?"

Brennan tensed and stopped chewing, turning his head to search into the other man's eyes. He didn't know what he was looking for exactly, but only saw true affection and concern looking back at him. He relaxed slightly. "She's good."

The dark eyes continued to hold his, and Brennan had the sudden feeling he was being searched as well. He held still, waiting, until Alex dipped his head slightly. "Good."

It was a gesture of acknowledgement, of surrender, and Brennan blew out his breath, feeling he had just passed some sort of test. He glanced at the other man as he suddenly stood back up, grudgingly admiring his strength of character. The gesture could not have been easy. He watched as Alex searched through his pack for a moment, pulling out a canteen. Water. Brennan swallowed tightly. His own canteen had been emptied yesterday.

Alex tipped his head back, about to swallow when he felt Brennan's eyes on him. He paused, looking over at him, recorking the canteen and tossing it over to Brennan.

Brennan caught it in surprise.

"Go ahead," Alex nodded at him.

Brennan uncorked it, practically salivating at the water gleaming inside. He lifted it, hesitated, then sighed, recapping it and tossing it back. "You go ahead."

Alex's hands rose automatically, brows rising in question. "But I know you want it."

Brennan shifted, speaking carefully. "It was yours first."

Alex stared back at him.

They weren't just talking about the canteen anymore.

He slowly lifted it, and Brennan's fingers tightened, wrapper crunching sharply in his fist. He forced his fingers to relax, and the wrapper fell unheeded to the floor. Alex smiled, tossing the canteen back at Brennan.

"It's yours now."

Brennan stared at the canteen in his hands, aware of the implication. "Thanks." His voice was husky when he finally spoke. He glanced up, squinting in the dim light to see the other man more clearly, ashamed of how he had grossly misjudged him.

"BREEEENNNAAAN!"

Shalimar's hysterical cry ripped through the cave, echoing harshly in the cavernous space as her voice cut out abruptly.

Brennan sprang to his feet, pain forgotten as he raced down the tunnel, back where he had left her, heart slamming madly in his chest, panicked. Alex was right behind him, and he stumbled in the darkness, hand scraping against rough rock as he caught himself and raced into the main chamber.

Shalimar was sitting up where he had left her, blanket puddled around her waist, clutching his jacket to her chest. Jesse and Emma were also heading towards her, but Brennan beat them, sliding to his knees in front of her.

"Shalimar!" He gripped her shoulders, pulling her closer to him, eyes scanning her frantically. "What's wrong?"

_He was gone_. Trapped in the abyss between nightmare and reality, Shalimar tried to focus, but all she could see was the horrific image in her mind's eye. Brennan was gone. She had screamed for him, but he hadn't answered. Her breath kept coming in short pants, and she tried to calm down, but could only see the same thing over and over again. _She was too late, he was dead_. Fury and terror ignited, and she stumbled to her feet. She slammed headfirst into someone, and furious, she growled, impatiently sidestepping the obstacle. _She had to find him_. Hands grabbed at her, holding her back, and annoyed, she glared in righteous fury. More hands grabbed her, words shouted at her to wait, and anger roared through her. She flung the body out of her way, barely noticing as it landed on the floor with a painful grunt. Stupid hands. They were wasting precious time. _Brennan was gone, and she had to find him_. She screamed his name again.

Brennan's chest throbbed from where Shalimar had blindly slammed into him, but he ignored it as he staggered past where Jesse had fallen, reaching out again to grab Shalimar, heart wrenching as her scream ended with a strangled sob. She struggled against him in rage, eyes wild as she yanked free of his hands.

"Shalimar!" He again gripped her shoulders, pulling her around to face him directly. "What is it? What's wrong?"

She said nothing, the fight suddenly leaving her. _She was too late._ Her knees buckled beneath her.

Brennan caught her as she sagged, shaking her, but she didn't respond. It was then he began to suspect what happened. _Damn_. The nightmare, the abyss, known only to those that had seen too much "Emma!" He searched desperately over Shalimar's shoulders for the psionic, but Emma already knew, sending a gentle psi-blast toward the struggling feral.

"It's ok, Brennan." Emma softly reassured after a moment. "She can see you now."

Brennan's eyes darted back to Shalimar's. Her eyes were glassy, and she suddenly blinked, mouth trembling as she fearfully, desperately looked him up and down, committing him to memory.

After the past few days, he should have known she was on the edge. He understood all too well. The abyss; the carved out world between haunting nightmare and terrible reality. He had lived it himself and knew better than anyone the terror it provoked. Ignoring the others, and the stab of sorrow in his heart, he brushed his fingers across her shoulders, gently, reassuringly. She trembled, groaning at his touch.

"What the hell is going on here?" Alex strode forward protectively.

"She's ok, she's just not quite awake yet." Emma's voice stopped Alex, and he hesitated, watching uncertainly. Emma bent down, helping Jesse to his feet.

"She just needs time," Jesse whispered to Alex, eyes boring into Emma's as he trailed a finger down her cheek. Her eyes closed in understanding.

Behind them, Adam's hands covered his careworn face, eyes black and hooded, shoulders weighed down with guilt. He had been studying their interaction from afar. His team had all hovered on the edge of the abyss enough times not to recognize it's hold, it's fear. It was one of their accepted dangers. And it was something that they should be too young to know about. Yet one more thing he was responsible for in their lives. He groaned, leaning against the back wall, unnoticed.

Brennan drew his hands around Shalimar's shoulders, cupping them, squeezing gently. She shuddered, eyes dropping, hands reaching up and circling around his wrists, feeling him. He kept still as she smoothed her hands down his arms and across his chest, feeling the muscle and tendon over and over, slowly erasing the injuries of her dream, a measure of reality finally returning.

Brennan drew in a breath at her exploring touch, seeing the dying horrors in her eyes. His heart cried in understanding.

"I was too late." Her whisper was broken.

"I know." His own voice was hoarse. One hand reached out, and he caught it, placing it against his cheek. Her fingers trembled, feeling his warmth, tracing the shape of his brows, his eyes as they shared her pain. It was one of the most sensual things he had ever experienced.

Abruptly, her hand fell, the moment broken as her head dropped forward and she tried to hide her face behind her fallen hair.

"Shal," He pushed his fingers through her hair, tucking it behind her ears, but she shook her head, breaking free.

"Sorry." In the dim light, her face was flushed with humiliation. "It's been a rough couple of days."

"Shh, it's ok." His arms wrapped around her then, pulling her against his chest. "You don't have to explain." He tipped her face up to his, laying bare his soul.

She kissed him then, taking him by surprise for a moment. Love, anger, frustration, acceptance; he could taste everything within her. His hand slipped beneath her hair, pulling her closer as he slated his mouth over hers, pouring his feelings into his kiss. Belief. Trust. She whimpered lowly, fingers digging into his hair at the overwhelming emotion. _She wasn't too late_. He was here. She groaned in the back of her throat, feeling him deepen the kiss. The edge of the abyss slammed shut.

It was Shalimar who finally broke away first, eyes wide. Brennan leaned his forehead against hers, panting to catch his breath, fingers stroking the soft skin at the hollow of her throat, feeling her pulse race beneath his fingers, lost.

Adam finally cleared his throat, reminding them where they were. They straightened in abrupt awareness, Shalimar flushing, pushing gently against his chest, putting a little distance between them. A small smile played around her mouth as she fingered her lips, staring back at him.

Brennan stared back, watching as she dipped her head, walking past him. He turned to follow her, not quite able to stop the swell of pride as her fingers stretched back behind her, reaching for him in full view of the others. He reached back, fingers curling firmly around hers. Alex watched them, but it didn't matter anymore. She was his. They all knew that now.

The mood was quiet, subdued as they finished eating and washing up. Shalimar was grateful for the space the others gave her, taking her time in eating the bar Adam handed her, hugging him as she recognized the weight of responsibility in his eyes.

"I told you before, you don't have to go there with me."

He smiled back, eyes soft, but she knew he still felt it anyway.

Emma found her as she rolled her blankets, holding her pack open for her as she stuffed the bedding inside. "Thanks, Em." Their eyes met, understanding the depth of the words.

Even though she knew he was fine, Shalimar's eyes were still shadowed as they followed Brennan around. He looked up from across the room where he was talking to Alex, and smiled. Her heart jumped in response, answering him. Alex smiled as well, and she was happy to see them actually talking. She hoped it was a good thing. She shook her head, bending and pulling fresh bandages out of her pack before crossing to the stream. Her foot still ached, but was healing well. Adam had been pleased with its latest progress.

"Want some company?"

She looked up at Jesse's quiet inquiry, smiling as he settled beside her. "I suppose you'd stay even if I said no."

"Of course," He grinned back, leaning over and bumping his shoulder against hers.

She laughed, smile fading after a moment.

He watched her, waiting.

Her fingers fiddled with the bandages, shredding the edges. "I really lost it this time, Jess." She stared at her hands.

He didn't try to contradict her, instead reaching over and rescuing the bandages from her destructive fingers.

Wordlessly, she turned, setting her foot in his lap, eyes watching as he began to unwrap the old bandaging.

"It's bad." He finally broke the silence between them, carefully removing the last bit of wrapping as it stuck to the wound.

She hissed at the fresh pain, blood beading up as he dabbed alcohol against it. "Adam said it's getting better."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know," She shrugged, shifting uneasily.

His eyes darted up to hers, shocking her with the old fear in them. "Watching someone you love die, it's bad."

She looked away, nodding, eyes welling as she fought to control her emotions.

Jesse dropped his head back to his work, beginning to wrap fresh bandaging around her foot. "When that—that mutant had Emma, when she was gone, I saw her dead too." His voice broke away, and they fell silent again.

"All done."

She looked back over as Jesse gave her toes a gentle squeeze. She couldn't help but smile, toes curling reflexively in response.

He smiled back. "We'll be ok, Shal." He released her foot as she slid it out of his lap, turning so they again sat side by side.

"Yeah." She laid her head on his shoulder after a moment, watching as tiny ripples moved across the water. Air. Brennan had mentioned earlier about thinking there was an opening somewhere because of air currents. She watched as it seemed to pull the water deeper into the tunnel. "I'm sorry I threw you, Jesse."

"I should have known better than to grab you," Jesse chuckled lowly in his throat as she grunted in embarrassment.

They fell silent once more.

"So who knew, huh?" Jesse broke the silence again. "You and Brennan, me and Emma?"

A slow smile spread over Shalimar's face. "And you thought they liked each other when they first joined the team."

"Nah." Jesse grinned in innocent denial. "I knew all along."

"Uh-huh." Shalimar rolled her eyes. "Now that I think of it, you never did pay up on that bet."

"Hey, you got Brennan, what more do you want?" Jesse laughed as she slapped his chest, sobering as he caught her hand between his fingers. "We're lucky, Shal." He rubbed his finger over the cool metal of her ring.

"Why's that?" She murmured, smiling. _Family._ She already knew the answer, but wanted to hear it aloud anyway.

Jesse paused, mouth twitching. "Neither one of us has to tell Adam anymore; you solved that dilemma with a certain very obvious, very hot kiss."

"Hey!" Shalimar's head lifted off his shoulder in shocked surprise, face flaming in embarrassment. Jesse laughed, tugging her hand back as she pulled it free and thumped it against his chest again.

"Idiot." She mumbled affectionately.

Their shoulders shook with shared laughter as she lay her head back down on his shoulder. Water rippled softly in the silence, calming, soothing.

"I don't know, Shal." Jesse started up unmercifully after a moment. "Maybe you did lose it. I mean, I was waiting for sparks to start flying, it was so…_Ouch!"_ His voice ended in a strangled laugh as she hit him again.

"Adam, wait up!"

Adam glanced sideways at Emma as she trotted after him, hand pressed to her ribcage as she struggled to catch her breath. "You shouldn't be running," He chided her, hand falling on her shoulder.

"I'm ok." She managed to gasp, straightening up after a moment. "Just winded."

Adam chuckled, turning to walk back down the tunnel. "I thought you were resting."

She shook her head, falling into step with him. "I'm fine, really. I just wanted to see what you were doing."

"At the moment, not much." Adam gestured with one hand as he led them further down a side tunnel. "I was hoping these hidden caves would reveal some of their secrets, but I'm afraid they seem pretty determined to stay silent." He frowned in chagrin as they turned a corner, only to run into an abrupt dead end.

Emma laughed. "I guess so."

Adam ran his hands along the rough walls, feeling in the darkness. Away from the main cavern, it was much darker and harder to see. Emma leaned against the wall, watching as he pulled out a pen light from his pocket, inspecting the walls. The wall was wet, and she made a face as the dampness soaked through her shirt. She turned, pressing her shoulder against the wall instead, hand propped on her hip as she waited. "Anything?" She scratched her nose as it suddenly itched.

"Nothing yet." Adam moved over a few steps, continuing his inspection.

"Achoo!"

He turned as Emma suddenly sneezed loudly in the darkness. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," She rubbed her nose again. "This air must be getting to me."

"Could be dust, mold spores, or any number of things," Adam speculated, turning back to the wall.

"Achoo!" Emma fell forward at the force of her sneeze, hands rising to catch herself against the wall. "Adam?" Her voice raised in panic as her palms started vibrating, head jerking back with a gasp. "Adam!"

Adam whirled around at Emma's scream. "Emma?" He pointed the light, shocked to see her entire body convulsing. "Emma!" He rushed forward, grabbing her shoulders. He tried to pull her back, but her palms seemed glued to the wall.

"Emma?" Adam heard Jesse's voice calling even as he heard their footsteps pounding down the tunnel toward them.

"Over here!" He stepped back as Brennan and Jesse grabbed ahold of Emma. "See if you can pull her back!"

"What happened?" Panicked, Jesse tried to grab her hands, but the force of her shaking knocked him back. "Emma!" He wrapped his hands around her waist as Brennan grabbed her shoulders. Together they pulled, Shalimar and Alex hovering right behind them. With a wrenching gasp, Emma broke free, screaming as she fell to the ground.

"Emma!" Jesse dropped to his knees, catching her face in his hands.

She panted, short painful breaths as she struggled to speak, meeting Jesse's panicked eyes. "I'm ok, I'm ok."

"What happened?" Brennan knelt next to them.

Emma shook her head. "Energy, I felt such strong energy, I can't explain it…"

"Adam."

Shalimar's tense voice caught their attention, and they looked up. She was staring at the wall where Emma's hands had been, eyes glowing eerily in the darkness.

"What is it?" Adam stepped closer, aiming the light where Shalimar's eyes were focused. He froze as the others gasped.

"So I have seen, so shall it be."

The words were etched in a shaky scrawl across the wall, scratched into the face of the rock.

"It's the same as before, the words spoken by that creepy voice from the disk…"

Their voices grew into a distant din in Adam's head as he stared at the words, locked in memories of the past.

_"Good luck to you, ma'am." He spoke reassuringly as the woman bounced the fussing baby up and down, shushing him soothingly. _

_"I still don't know if I made the right choice, giving her up for adoption." Her eyes were red, watering as she stared down into the face of her infant son. His dark head bobbed slightly against her chest as he resisted the pull of sleep. _

_"Remember, it's for the best." He put a hand on her shoulder, gently directing her to the door. "With your financial situation and the amount of care your daughter will need…" He shrugged hopelessly. "Take comfort in this one, he's a beautiful and healthy baby now, the son you so desperately wanted." _

_She sniffed, lifting her tear-stained face up to him. "Thank you for everything." _

_Adam cupped the baby's soft head, feeling the downy hair brush against his fingers as the tiny head turned. Big, dark eyes beholded him solemnly, and Adam knew he would never forget them. "Take care, little one." He whispered as guards came to lead the woman away. He watched her until they turned a corner, disappearing from sight, leaning heavily against the doorframe, kneading his temple. _

_"We did the right thing, Adam." _

_He looked up as his partner stepped out of the shadows. "We lied to her." _

_"Better a lie to separate them than to be podded as Mr. Eckhart originally wanted." Evan clamped his shoulder. "Your plan saved those babies, they have a chance now." _

_"But how do we really know—"_

_"Whether the prophecy is true or not, we can't take the risk of another Ashlocke syndrome on our hands…" _

Voices returned, loud in his head, and Adam blinked, suddenly realizing the others were looking at him questioningly. He shook his head, looking at Emma as she leaned back against Jesse's chest. "Emma?"

"I'm ok, Adam," She tore her eyes from the wall, looking at him in concern. "But what about you?"

"I'm fine." Adam waved a hand dismissively.

"What happened?" Brennan ran his fingers over the words, but felt nothing.

Emma shivered, and Jesse's arms circled around her. "The precog, the one we heard on the disk, he was here, he carved those words. I could still feel him, so much power…"

Adam turned away from the others, studying the walls around them. In all his time in the facility, he had never known about the existence of these caves. What else went on here that he didn't know about? He bounced the light around the tunnel where it ended abruptly. It looked like there had been a cave-in at some point in time, piled rock closing off whatever was behind it. "Alex, Jesse." He chewed his lip thoughtfully.

"Yeah, Adam?" Jesse took a step closer to him, Alex next to him.

"Do you two think you could try phasing through this wall? I have a feeling it's not a natural one."

"You think there's something back there?" Brennan curled his fingers around Shalimar's as she leaned into him from behind, peering her head over his shoulder, loving the feel of her small frame pressing against his back.

"Possibly." Adam shrugged. "I think it's worth a look."

"Let's do it." Alex stepped up, taking a breath and stepping through the wall. Jesse waited for a moment before following after him.

Brennan shifted his feet in the ensuing silence.

"They're ok," Emma spoke after a moment, "I can't sense Alex, but Jesse is—" She broke off with a gasp.

"Emma? What is it?" Adam reached for her in concern, but she held out a hand, giving him pause.

"It's ok," Emma spoke after a moment. "I was just hit with really strong emotions all of a sudden."

They waited in tense silence until Jesse and Alex suddenly reappeared, faces grim.

"Bones, Adam," Jesse shook his head in grim disbelief, "There's bones…_human_ bones back there."

Alex sighed, kneading his temple, sickened. "There looks to be at least a dozen remains, maybe more."

"What?" Shalimar turned a startled face toward Adam. "What went on here?"

"I don't know, Shalimar," Adam shook his head. "I don't know." He stared blankly at the writing on the wall.

_He sighed tiredly, running a hand through his hair. It had been a long day, and it was far from over. While most everyone else was going home, their work was just beginning. He looked around him before pulling up their latest research. Cracking the genetic code. It seemed nearly impossible, and doubly so now that they felt the need to keep their research hidden. There was something about Mason Eckhart, he couldn't bring himself to trust the man anymore. He was glad that Evan agreed. _

_"You look tired." _

_"I am." He looked up at Evan as he walked into the room, smile fading when he saw the look on his partner's face. "What is it?" _

_"I'm afraid I have bad news, Adam." _

_He pushed back his chair, heart plunging. "What?" _

_"The twins...I just received word that one of them has died…" _

"What the hell happened to those people?" Jesse looked shaken, bracing his hands on Emma's shoulders.

Adam blinked, tearing his eyes from the disturbing words.

"Do you think it has something to do with that prophecy Dr. Shaw spoke about? Is this somehow connected to me?" For the first time since they had met him, Alex looked scared.

Shalimar stepped up to him, laying a comforting hand on his arm. "We should keep looking, maybe we'll find more clues as to what happened here."

Alex nodded, face pinched.

"We'll figure it out, ok?" Brennan put one hand on Shalimar's shoulder, the other on Alex's, surprising the others with his concern for the dark-haired man.

Shalimar shifted as she found herself pressed between them, wondering what exactly they had talked about when she saw them together earlier. Whatever it was, it seemed to have been good. Gone, finally, was Brennan's blinding jealousy. She smiled at the two men, sensing the shared understanding between them. "Let's go."

They searched for hours, pouring over every inch of the cave and its tunnels, but found nothing. By silent consent, they found themselves regrouping back in the main cavern, all except Brennan and Alex.

Shalimar looked around in confusion when she realized they were both missing.

"Brennan?" She called for him, forcing a calming breath when her heart began to pound, remembering her dream. The abyss began to crack back open. "BRENNAN!"

"Look, Shal," Jesse hastily stepped up to her, pointing toward the river. "They're over there."

Her eyes fell shut in relief, immediately feeling foolish. She hadn't sensed them in her panic. "Thanks, Jess."

He smiled, fingers squeezing her shoulders, tightened painfully as he watched with disbelief as Brennan suddenly lunged for Alex, knocking him forcibly against the rock wall with a bolt of electricity. Locked in horrific silence, they watched as the two men struggled for a moment before flying backwards, landing in the river. Water rushed upward in a heaving wave, sloshing loudly before roaring back down, closing over their heads with frightful calmness, dying electricity crackling across the surface.

The abyss howled in hunger.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I just finished writing chapter 13 and didn't finish my outline, so this story will for sure be 15 chapters now! Thank you all so much for your support! I can't tell you how much it keeps me going! Thank you to Ih, hi, Meg, Rain (So happy to hear that, I was unsure. Thanks!), kerry, Mayra (I'm trying to keep a mix of interactions between all of them, thanks!), Mxfan214, CatJerica (Glad you got your computer fixed!), blackpanther (Answers will come soon!), Saphire Ravven8 (You guessed right!), Redhead2 (I love playing with ranges of emotion, it's always a challenge! So thank you!), Fiery Feral (Me too, lol!). AliasFan-MutantKitty, I can't thank you enough for the amazing reviews! And the poem at the end of All Things was so beautiful! Thank you! I hope all of your questions will be answered by the end, I'll do my best! Thank you all so much! Here's another long chapter for you!

Traveling Souls—Chapter Twelve

Icy water rushed over his head in a deafening roar, and Brennan struggled to close his fists as he felt it wash down over them. There was a ripple, a hiss, and then eerie silence as sparks flickered harmlessly and died. He lay still for a moment, numbing shock stealing through his limbs, feeling the swelling current as something struggled beside him; Alex. With a great gasp, Brennan heaved himself into a sitting position, greedily sucking in air when his head broke the surface, grateful for the relative shallowness of the river. Racketing pain fought with bitter cold, and he groaned heavily, rocks digging sharply into his palms as he struggled to push his hands under him. Water surged again, and he slipped, hands tearing against slimy rock. He felt a sting, sluggishly blinked, and saw red blood pillowing from the water. A slippery hand gripped his shoulder, and he turned his head, meeting Alex's grim eyes, remembering. The mists. As one, their heads turned and looked up, gasping as they saw the thick fog lingering directly above them, hovering, as if it didn't know which way to float. Mouths gaping, they watched silently as it suddenly shot straight up into the air, slammed back toward them in a silent stretch, and then backed off, following the flow of the river, disappearing into the darkness.

"Did you see that?" Alex's fingers dug into Brennan's shoulder, face fixed in shocked fear. "It…it—"

"It had a face." Brennan pressed his lips together grimly, no longer feeling the cold.

They looked at each other in disbelief even as the others rushed towards them, voices blurring together in frenzied panic.

"Brennan! Alex!" Shalimar reached them first, charging into the water without thought. Her nostrils flared as a coppery scent stung her senses, and she dropped to her knees beside them with a splash. "Brennan, you're bleeding!" Her hands sought him, frantically roaming his chest and arms in the watery darkness for signs of injury.

"Shalimar!" Adam's voice called sharply, hesitantly, drawing them all still. "What happened here?" His eyes darted between the two men, begging an explanation for what he had seen.

Shalimar ignored him, tongue clicking as she found the source of injury, drawing Brennan's cut hand into her own.

The cold returned, and Brennan shivered violently, pulling his hand free and staggering to his feet, water pouring off him as he roughly hauled Shalimar against him, eyes desperately roaming the darkness. She gasped at the abruptness, his grip almost painful with nervous energy.

"Brennan?" Jesse took a step forward into the water.

"It's ok," Alex finally managed to gasp, shuddering as he managed to find his own feet, hobbling protectively in front of both of them.

"What did you see?" Jesse finally began to catch on as he watched the defensive positions of both men. They were forming a barrier around Shalimar, eyes searching. He heard Shalimar's grunt of frustration as she recognized their protective stances as well, pushing forward to stand beside them.

"There was more mist," Alex's shoulders finally relaxed their tenseness, satisfied it was no longer an immediate threat. He turned toward Brennan, eyes frank with admiration. "Brennan zapped me to knock me out of the way, saved my life."

"It was the only way I could reach you in time. Too bad we landed in the water," Brennan groaned as a rush of cold air tugged at his wet clothing. He shivered miserably.

"That's strange," Adam frowned as he glanced around. "There wasn't enough nitrogen vapor left to do any damage."

"There's more, Adam." Brennan trudged tiredly through the water, sinking to the ground as Shalimar and Alex stumbled up the shallow bank beside him. He hesitated, glancing over at Alex. The dark-haired man sat with his arms stretched across his knees, head hanging down wearily. "That mist, it's not normal."

Adam's brows knit together. "What do you mean?"

Brennan shook his head. "It moved purposefully, following us… It—it _looked _at us, Adam." It sounded stupid even to his own ears, and what he was thinking sounded even more implausible. He didn't miss the skeptical look that flashed across the older man's face, the concerned glances between Jesse and Shalimar even as her hands reached for his forehead. He pushed them away. "Emma?" He turned toward the redhead.

"I—I'm sorry, but I don't sense anything, Brennan." She regretfully squeezed his shoulder, feeling his growing frustration.

"Never mind." He dropped his head, suddenly too tired to explain as Alex stayed quiet.

Water dripped, and Adam cleared his throat in the silence. "Well, let's get the three of you dry, it's too cold in here to stay in those wet clothes."

It was nearly impossible to tell time in the dim darkness of the cave, but Shalimar estimated it had been at least a couple of hours. They were gathered back in the large cavern, resting around a small fire that Alex started for them, burning a mangled wooden chair Jesse had found in the lab and phased back for them. Adam was anxious to get going, but was giving them time to rest and dry off. Her shirt and jeans were steaming by the fire, finally dry enough to put back on, and she rose, blanket fluttering behind her like a cape as she walked a little ways away from the others to get dressed. It had been awkward sitting with the others dressed in only a blanket, even if Brennan and Alex were similarly clad. More than once she had caught Brennan's eyes on her bare legs, and she wasn't overly surprised when he rose to follow her, hands reaching out to grasp her waist as they melted into the darkness.

"Hey," He whispered into her ear, pulling her to a stop. He bent his head, lips nibbling against the warmth of her skin.

"Brennan," She laughingly whispered, turning to face him. "The others—"

"Can't see us," He smoothly countered, hands splaying her hips as he pulled her closer.

She let him kiss her, unable to resist. His kiss was tender and assuring, hinting of held-back desire. When they finally broke apart, she was breathless, resting her hands against his chest, feeling his heart pounding madly. His eyes were dark, burning through hers in the shadows, and his head dipped again, kiss slow and deep. She tasted the heat of his mouth, the desire stirring in both of them.

"Brennan," She gasped as she managed to break away. "We can't—"

"Yeah, I know." His voice was thick, muffled as he buried his face in her shoulder with a groan. She couldn't help but chuckle at his obvious frustration; this was a new side of Brennan, she was quickly finding she was enjoying it. Her fingers dug into his hair in silent agreement at his whispered words.

"Later."

He released her, eyes holding hers as he stepped back a few paces and dropped his blanket, reminding her of his challenge a few days ago in Sanctuary when she had interrupted his shower. She met his dare, chin lifting with a teasing smile as she dropped her own blanket. He growled lowly, but didn't touch her, sending goosebumps up and down her flesh. It was nearly impossible to see in the pitch black, but she kept her eyes on him, feeling his gaze burning into hers as they bent and pulled on their clothes. She sat on the ground to pull on her shoes, letting him help her stand back up when she was finished, welcoming the strength of his hands, warm and firm under her arms. She wasn't too tired to enjoy the closeness, the cover of dark that hid them from the others. She ran her hands up his arms and clasped them behind his neck. He kissed her again, and she marveled that she was actually with him. Had it only been a few days now?

"Come on," he whispered.

The fire was hot and crackling, and Adam motioned for them to sit. Shalimar was grateful they couldn't see her flushed face in the dimness, relieved no one commented on their little disappearance, relaxing as she listened to them talk. The deep resonance of their voices was soothing, their sudden bursts of laughter assuring. Once she tilted her head to smile up at Brennan. He returned the smile. The fire made his face gentle, and a feeling of possession quickened within, a feeling of being possessed, and she had a shocking impulse to curl around and rub herself against him like a cat. Marking him. Claiming him. She bit her lip at the sensation, resting her head into the soft hollow of his shoulder. It was made for her. The flames danced high in yellows and whites, spitting at times. She felt Brennan relax as well, was conscious of his arms circling her, caging her in, his hands clasped loosely in front of them.

Across the fire, Emma smiled as she watched them, happy her friends had finally figured things out. They had been in denial for so long, fighting and ignoring what she knew they both wanted. It was nice to see them finally together now, and happy despite their current circumstances. Warm fingers brushing against hers reminded her of her own similar situation, and her smile widened knowingly as Jesse purposely let her feel his straying thoughts. He grinned when she blushed, dropping her eyes. _Yeah_. Who knew the Molecular had such a salacious side to him? She licked her lips, sending him her own feelings, grinning evilly when his fingers faltered momentarily against hers, and he chuckled softly, wryly in the darkness. _Never mess with a Psionic_. She flashed him a triumphant smile as he pulled her closer, dropping a kiss on top of her head. She loved messing with his mind. His hand dropped to her waist, fingers burning through the thick roughness of the blanket she had wrapped around herself for warmth, and she shivered deliciously at the touch, leaning closer yet. Adam asked her a question, and she answered, reveling in the small moment of quietness they shared. The past few days had been rough on all of them, and she had a feeling it wasn't over yet. The fire cracked again, and she jumped slightly, tensing.

"Emma?" Alex looked at her in concern as he walked past, coming back from changing into his own clothes. "You ok?"

"I'm fine." She quickly shook her head, not wanting to ruin the moment. She ran her fingers soothingly over Jesse's as they tightened against her waist.

Alex nodded, accepting her words, grinning as he paused between the cuddling couples, brows rising. "I'm beginning to feel left out."

"Well, there's always Adam..." Brennan grinned as Shalimar jabbed him with her elbow.

"Don't forget who gave you rescue breathing." Alex shot back.

Brennan's smile instantly dropped, causing the others to laugh even harder.

Adam rolled his eyes at their antics, sobering slightly as their leader raised his hands to signal control. Alex sat down, stretching his feet toward the fire, listening.

"I know you are all tired, and I appreciate everything you've done for this mission. You've been through a lot already, and you should all be proud of yourselves." Adam paused, glancing at each one of them as he spoke, his face soft in the flickering firelight.

Shalimar straightened slightly at his formality, brows pinching together in concern. "Everything ok, Adam?"

"Everything is fine, Shalimar." He smiled in reassurance, but she noticed it didn't quite reach his eyes. Brennan nudged her slightly, and she nodded in understanding. There was something Adam wasn't telling them. She frowned slightly, shifting against the cold rock floor. Brennan's arms tightened around her imperceptively, sensing her unease. She rested her hands on top of his, drawing strength from his warm fingers as he tangled them around hers.

"We've got the disk and the statue, and now that we've managed to regroup, we need to continue on, find that research, and get out of here."

"Sounds good to me," Jesse piped up, releasing Emma as he stood to his feet to stretch. "I don't think I can handle one more night on this floor anyway."

Adam smiled briefly, chuckling in understanding as he stood and his own knees popped in protest. "So we're agreed?"

"Yeah, let's do this." Brennan ignored the twinge in his back as he straightened, watching Shalimar as she tested her injured foot against the ground. She caught his gaze, flattening her foot against the ground defiantly, arms crossing. "I think we're all ready to go." He continued, not breaking eye contact.

Feeling immediately foolish, Shalimar smiled, shoulders losing their defensiveness. She should have known by now Brennan wouldn't try to coddle her. It was one of the things he had proven in this mission. She leaned into him, pressing a brief kiss against his chest as his hands rubbed up and down her arms in understanding.

It had taken a while for him to trust enough to let her go. It was never about not trusting her abilities; it was about trusting she would come back to him. He had to fight his protective nature, and she had to fight her driving hunting nature. He released her, and she bent, stuffing their blankets back into her pack.

"Where should we start?" Emma looked around the cave. "I think we've checked out most of the tunnels by now."

"Adam, what about the bones?" Jesse's eyes were troubled. "A lot of people died here, and we don't know why."

"Do you think they're connected to this case?" Shalimar turned to look at Adam as he picked up the pack containing the heavy bronzed tree statue.

"It's possible," Adam grunted as he hefted the pack onto his shoulder, "The disk mentioned something about experiments, and unfortunately, as we know, Eckhart was capable of most anything."

"Maybe it's tied to Dr. Shaw's research." Alex looked pained at the thought.

"No." Adam's face tightened as he stared into the darkness, voice unreadable as he finally spoke. "I don't think so."

Emma's brows furrowed, watching him. She knew Adam could feel her gaze, but he ignored her, briskly pulling his pen light out of his pocket. Light flickered around them, dying as Alex stomped out the remains of the fire until there was only the directed glow of the small flashlight. She swallowed, invariably frowning as she studied Adam, turning up her face and forcing a smile when Jesse stepped up next to her.

"Let's spread out and do one more sweep," Adam instructed.

"What are we looking for exactly?" Brennan scratched his head, stifling a yawn.

"I don't know," Adam pressed his lips together.

"Great," Brennan sighed, "One of those, 'we'll know when we see it,' kind of things."

"You got it." Adam smiled at his expression, disappearing into the darkness without another word. A tiny bopping thread of light was the only indication of where he was heading. Emma watched him for a moment before following him, Jesse trailing after her.

Alex shrugged as Brennan and Shalimar looked at him. "Guess I'll go that way," He pointed towards the river, hand raising as small flames flickered and danced on his fingertips, lighting his way.

"Guess it's just you and me now." Brennan's voice tickled Shalimar's ear.

She smiled, waiting until Alex disappeared before turning to Brennan. "Well then, it's a good thing I can see in the dark."

Brennan grinned, pulling her closer. "Or we could just wait here…" His voice trailed away as he bent his head, kissing her ear, encouraged when she shuddered slightly beneath him. He smiled against her skin, lips moving down her jawline as she lifted her face, arching into his touch, gasping softly when he finally reached her mouth, lips claiming hers with undeniable hunger, hands spanning her waist and pulling her closer.

"Brennan—" She murmured after a moment, hands pushing gently against his chest.

"Yeah, yeah, later, I know." Brennan groaned as he reluctantly pulled away. His breathing was raspy as his fingers pushed under the edge of her blouse, teasing the soft skin of her midriff. His mouth twisted wryly, eyes dark. "You know, I changed my mind, the faster we look, the faster we can get out of here."

Her brows rose at his tortured expression. "You're being awfully presumptuous."

He froze, mouth gaping, fingers faltering in the ensuring silence, finally swallowing tightly. "I—I'm sorry."

Her eyes twinkled as she pushed up on her toes to whisper in his ear. "I like it."

He growled playfully, arms wrapping around her, pulling her hard against him. But when he kissed her, his lips were soft, moving gently over hers with infinite tenderness. Her heart ached with love when he hugged her, setting his chin on top of her head. "Thanks," He finally whispered.

"For what?" She tilted her head up to look at him.

"For being you." He felt the pull of muscle against his chest as she smiled, knowing she understood. _He's not you_. Suddenly, her words made all the sense in the world. "We should go." He finally broke the silence between them.

She nodded against his chest, stepping back out of his embrace. "Why don't you go on ahead with the others?" Her eyes caught Adam's tiny penlight bobbing across the cavern. "I just need to make a quick stop and then I'll catch up with you." She indicated their designated tunnel with a jerk of her head.

"Alright." Brennan started toward the tiny beam of light.

Shalimar watched him walk away, smiling at the slight waddle he tried so hard to hide. His back must still be bothering him. She made a mental note to check it out later on. Her foot was still sore as well, but already she could walk much easier, and she turned and headed down the small side tunnel. It was much darker away from the main cavern, and she allowed her eyes to convert to familiar gold, walking with ease through the darkness.

It was then that she felt him.

Shivers spiked up and down her spine, but she feigned nonchalance, forcing herself to keep walking as she scanned the walls, barely hesitating when she spotted the hazy red of his heat signature a few yards ahead of her.

He was camouflaged into the rock wall.

Her hesitation was slight, the hitch of breath minimal, but it was enough to let him know she was aware. Before she could take another step, he pounced.

Brennan was already bored.

He sighed heavily as Adam turned his flashlight on yet another slab of rock jutting out of the wall. It looked exactly like the ten others he had examined before it. "I don't think we're going to find anything." He groaned inwardly, biting the side of his cheek as Adam ignored him and began yet another painstaking examination. He sighed loudly again, shoving his hands into his pockets, bouncing on the balls of his feet impatiently. Emma shot him an amused smile, and he shrugged his shoulders as she looked at him. "What?"

"You're being annoying, Brennan." Jesse bluntly informed him, running his fingers along the rock slab next to Adam. "If you'd help, this would go a whole lot faster."

"Whatever, bro."

Adam moved onto the next section of wall, barely noticing as Brennan and Jesse continued to banter back and forth. He rubbed his fingers against the cold slate, hoping the walls would whisper their secrets and lay bare the past. He thought he had known everything about this facility, but it obviously still had more secrets to reveal.

Even more than he did.

He pressed his lips together at the guilty thought, moving further into the tunnel.

_"Hi, there."__ The baby's arms flapped joyfully at the sound of his voice as he bent close, grabbing onto his nose with surprising strength. "Patience, little one." He chuckled, rescuing his nose from grabbing fingers, cooing gibberish at the baby. He looked up sheepishly as his partner entered the room, smile growing wary at the look on the other man's face. "Is it time?" _

_"It is." _

_He swallowed, looking away. "You trust this adoptive family?" _

_"Eckhart chose them personally." _

_He nodded. Somehow that did little to reassure him. He hadn't shared his reservations with his partner yet, but he was beginning to have serious misgivings about some of the company practices. He looked back down at the baby, face tightening. They had just sent the mother away moments ago with one of the babies. Now they had to take care of the other. "I still wish we could have handled this differently." _

_"It'll be fine, Adam." _

_"We can only hope so." He watched as Evan unwrapped the soft pink blanket from around the baby. _

_"Do you want to meet them?" _

_"No." He shook his head, handing over a light blue blanket, shifting his feet uneasily as Evan wrapped the fuzzy material around the baby, placing him against his shoulder. _

_Illusion._

_Misdirection._

_The infant's dark eyes haunted him as he stared solemnly back over his partner's shoulder as he walked through the door. His eyes closed in guilt. It was bad enough that he had purposefully deceived the mother, and that she would never know the full truth about her firstborn. _

_Truth inside a lie, masking truth._

_He could barely stomach what he'd done so far. He couldn't bear to watch as her son was given away. _

Adam blinked, thrown back into reality when a chilling feral snarl broke the air.

Brennan's head snapped up at the sound.

Shalimar.

He would know that scream anywhere.

In the time it took for Brennan to run through the main cavern and down the dark side tunnel, he relived his nightmare. Not the exact one that had haunted him of late, but a similar one, one that had kept him awake on many a countless night, one of Shalimar in the hands of some faceless monster, stirred by numerous encounters over the years, when the abyss yawned and stretched, making its presence known. He careened around the corner, skidding to a stop as he came face to face with the current threat, mind whirling.

_So much fire for a tiny woman...too slow and clumsy._

_You shouldn't do that. _

Every word the monster had said to her.

_Try me._

_He's only pretending to be human_.

Every word she had said back

"Shalimar!"

He heard Alex scream her name, the rage brewing out of him blocking anything beyond that. Electricity burned beneath his skin, bursting through his fingers with painful relief, tangible and dangerous. He strode forward, hesitating when with twisting dread he saw the knife being pressed into the tender hollow of her throat. The same soft place his lips had been kissing just minutes before. Sparks flickered in his eyes, and it took conscious and painful effort not to level his fingers at the mutant's head as he came to a stop a few feet in front of them. That was the only target he could take that would guarantee the fastest death. He glared down at the target. _So close._ So close he could almost reach out and touch the man. _Too close to be sure_. He might not be fast enough, not with the knife that close. He heard Alex draw to a stop, flanking behind him, the others just behind him.

"What do you want?" Adam's voice boomed authoritatively.

"Stupid question." Lazy eyes blinked back at them.

"You can't have the disk," Shalimar spoke for the first time, teeth bared as she arched her back against the chokehold around her neck, angry that this mutant had managed to grab her a third time. She stilled as the knife tip dug into her skin, eyes defiant. "And you might want to be a little more creative next time, this is getting old."

Brennan's fingers twitched, aching to attack, on edge by Shalimar's blatant antagonism, held frozen by fear. If he lifted his fingers, he would have to take the shot. No waiting. Just an elimination of threat. The abyss cackled in his ear.

He waited.

And just as suddenly the knife flipped up into the air, and Shalimar was released. Instinctively, she whirled around, the hilt of the knife smacking into her upraised palm. She blinked, as if astonished to find it there, and the mutant sighed.

"Still too clumsy."

For a long moment, Shalimar and the mutant simply stared at one another. Brennan blinked, and then he was gone.

"Where did he go?"

He heard Emma and Jesse murmuring behind him, but stared only at Shalimar, wincing as the knife fell from her limp fingers, clamoring loudly on the slate ground.

"Shalimar?" He closed the distance between them. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah." When her eyes finally rose to meet his, her face was the coldest mask he had ever seen. He opened his mouth to speak, but the roar of falling earth drowned him out. He stumbled, catching her as they were knocked flat, rocks tumbling around them.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Shalimar gritted her teeth, yelling in disbelief.

"I'm getting really tired of this guy," Brennan grunted as he hauled himself back to his feet, holding out a hand to help Shalimar.

"Michael."

"What?"

"He said his name was Michael." Shalimar's eyes flashed golden, searching for him as the rumbling stopped. She spotted him back in the main cavern by the lab entrance, arms casually crossed, watching as a handful of men stepped into the cave from the newly exposed hallway, forming a formidable line. He had knocked down the caved-in wall, suddenly opening them up to the facility once again. She groaned; it figured Eckhart's goons would be waiting. She growled deep in her throat, starting forward.

But Brennan beat her to it.

Itching for a fight, he didn't hesitate. Two arches of blue electricity shot out as one. Two men, one at each end of the line, cried out and spun as close range bolts struck with bruising force. Startled, the rest of the men turned appraisingly to Brennan, reconsidering their plan of attack. Two more streaks shot out before anyone could decide where to look, and two more men fell, engulfed in flames. Four more men dropped by the time hands fumbled for weapons, and the rest were dead before anyone could react.

Michael was nowhere to be seen.

Alex's footsteps echoed loudly as he stepped up next to Brennan. His face as he glanced at the bodies was cold in contempt. Adam stepped widely around them, bending over to check on the fallen. Brennan's hits were clean, the men unconscious. It was Alex's hits that were deadly. His expression was thoughtful as he looked back up. Something cold flashed in Alex's eyes, a hint of darkness slipping the leash he normally held. Adam was not the only one close enough to see it, but he thought he was the only one to recognize it. Flat dark eyes stared back into his without apology even as the others rushed up to them, and then he broken the contact, turning toward Shalimar in protective concern, tilting her head up to get a look at the reddened abrasion on her throat.

"You ok?" Alex's voice was husky as he studied the bruising on her neck.

"Yeah." She graced him with a smile, feeling Brennan's hands slid around her waist, turning her around.

Silently, Brennan pulled her into his arms, burying his face into her hair, smelling the sweat and adrenaline, the wind out of the abyss screaming at his back.

Adam was willing to bet that Alex had not known ahead of time what Brennan was going to do. But he had struck his targets without warning and without mercy. Eckhart's men had been fools. They had looked at Brennan and seen the threat.

They never saw the shots that took half of them out from behind.

In the corner of the cave, Michael looked up and smiled.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I just finished writing a very long wrap-up chapter, so now I just need to write the final chapter! Thank you all for your continued support. Each chapter easily takes me at least ten hours to write as I'm a horribly slow writer and a perfectionist to boot, so if not for your kindness, I think I would have given up long ago. Thank you Rain, MxFan214 (first one to guess!), kerry, hi, Saphire Ravven8 (Lol, not sure! They are stuck in a cave after all!), CatJerica (Wow, great thoughts! I never even thought of some of that!), Fiery Feral, AliasFan-MutantKitty (So happy you noticed that, thank you!), Mayra, Redhead2. Thank you! Here's another long chapter for you, I hope you enjoy!

Traveling Souls—Chapter Thirteen

Many a time over the years, Adam had seen his team fight, had seen them engaged in battle. It unnerved him every time. The mixed emotions of protective fear and swelling pride had always struck him as ironic. He felt the familiar rush of emotions now as his team gathered together, Brennan pulling back from hugging Shalimar, Emma's head snapping up and seeing Michael as he smiled back lazily. By silent assent, they formed a line, Jesse a step ahead of the others. They all faced Michael.

None of them saw the seven new men creeping out of the office and toward them from behind.

"Stupid." Michael disdainfully informed them, body shimmering and then disappearing as he blended into the rock.

Shalimar sensed the advancing agents the same time as the shots rang out. Her cry of warning was abruptly cut off as she dropped to the ground. Emma crumbled beside her, and then Jesse as he gasped, inadvertently releasing his breath.

Time slowed for Adam as Alex whirled, massing in front of Brennan. Brennan lashed out, electricity crackling loudly as it struck one of the men. The agent's weapon dropped to the rock floor with a clatter, calling Adam into action as the remaining men spread out.

"Go after them!" Adam hollered, bending over Shalimar, fingers trembling as they pressed into her neck. A strong pulse surging back told him she was still alive. His eyes darted around his three fallen team members. No blood. His shoulders slumped in relief. They had just been stunned. "They're fine—go!" He screamed again, glancing up as he saw Brennan and Alex hesitating. "Go!"

Brennan's eyes were locked on Shalimar. Adam saw them harden in rage and fear, narrowing, and then he was gone, Alex pulling him along as he stalked after the men. He rose, moving to check on Emma, freezing when he felt the cold barrel of a gun being pressed into his neck. His eyes closed in frustration as hands searched him, and the disk was pulled out of his jacket pocket. He made to move toward Jesse, sighing as the barrel pressed harder. "Alright," He raised his hands, sinking back to the ground next to Emma.

"Call them back." The hammer of the gun clicked in his ear.

In the space of the seconds it took for Adam to get caught, the cave had turned into a battle ground. He drew a deep breath, about to bellow out an order to stop when it suddenly occurred to him that Brennan and Alex were winning. He hesitated, mouth snapping shut, taking a gamble. "No." He ignored the cursing of the man behind him, heart slamming in his chest as he kept his eyes locked on Brennan and Alex. They were outnumbered, but they seemed to have something the other agents did not. Both of them seemed to have an uncanny sense of where the other was at any given time, moving fluidly as they fought. Fierce and aggressive, Alex attacked while Brennan parried, working together as they quickly recognized in each other familiar patterns in new forms. Their bodies shifted, flowed, adapted. He could see it building, could see it in the unthinking block, the parry in motion before the other's attack was barely started. Each absorbed the other's ability, blows swiftly increasing until they moved seamlessly side by side, hands moving faster than thought, bodies reacting in a violent tango. Twice, Adam winced as one of Eckhart's agents whirled in attack, only to strike their own side instead.

The gun jabbed harder into his neck, a command barked into his ear, but he barely heard it, staring in awe at Brennan and Alex as they continued fighting. It was as if they were not limited to just one dimension, as if they had years to learn each others thinking. Darkness, tunnels, and boulders that represented obstacles to their stumbling opponents were tools to them as they fought, leaping and twisting with deadly perfection. A shuffle sounded behind him, and the pressure from the gun suddenly released. Startled, he glanced up to see Shalimar standing over the fallen agent, dusting off her hands as she kicked the gun from his limp fingers. She looked dazed, but determined as she placed a hand on Adam's shoulder in quick reassurance, brushing past him to join the fight, fingers digging painfully into his skin as she abruptly jerked, knees buckling beneath her. He caught her even as he heard the mocking echo of the shot that brought her down.

"No!" Brennan roared in anger when he saw an agent just beyond his reach aiming his gun, head turning just in time to see Shalimar falling out of the corner of his eye. He broke free of the fight, starting toward Shalimar, knowing Alex would get the agent.

He wasn't wrong.

With a howl of rage that brought shivers to Adam's spine, Alex struck out with a massive fireball, instantly striking the remaining agents.

Except the one that shot Shalimar.

He dropped his weapon, backing down a side tunnel with hands raised as Alex stalked after him, paling as he backed abruptly into a dead end wall of tumbled rock.

Alex smiled tightly as he realized it was the caved-in wall hiding the facility's dark secret. Human remains. His hands lifted, flames flickering.

"Shalimar!" Brennan slid the last few feet on his knees, not feeling the biting pain as he desperately pulled her into his arms.

"Brennan, it's alright…they're using rubber bullets…they must want us alive for some reason!"

Brennan barely registered Adam's voice, wind from the abyss screaming cruelly, teetering on the edge as it crumbled beneath his feet. He clung to her limp body, grinding his teeth.

"Brennan!" A hand grabbed his shoulder, and he growled blindly, almost missing the grunt of pain beneath him. He groaned when he finally heard the sound, felt her fingers digging into his back. Adam's hand released his shoulder, and he pulled back, tension leaving him in a rush as he found Shalimar's eyes. They were open, smiling at him.

It was the last thing he saw.

Creeping silently through the earth and following the path of least resistance, methane had spent itself into the atmosphere over the years until thwarted, trapped beneath the surface by heavy layers of impermeable rock and soil. Unable to go any further, it had swirled in ever deeper concentrations until the day someone unknowingly released it.

And created a spark.

In a searing blast of heat and light, a shockwave exploded outward from the side tunnel.

They heard the explosion a bare instant before they felt the flames.

There was no time to run.

Agents were smashed against the rock walls, lungs ruptured by the concussive change of pressure, bodies seared by the steadily increasing temperature of the flames just behind.

Jesse had just opened his eyes in time to hear the explosion, hands grabbing Emma and Brennan as he cradled Shalimar, feeling Adam's hands on his shoulders and massing, praying he could spread the effect far enough among them as flames overtook them. Instinct had caused him to react before fully cognizant, and he struggled to hold his breath, lungs burning for air all too soon.

The ignition collapsed the tunnel entrance and sealed it with several tons of debris, the rumbling vibrations of the earth shaking the whole of the cavern. Flames raced from one end of the tunnel to the other, eagerly consuming methane and oxygen in a howling rush. Partway down another tunnel, the forward flames finally slowed, left with no place to go as building pressure bubbled gases away from the blast.

Jesse released his breath with a gasping sob, dropping to the ground with exhaustion as something landed near his face. It took a moment before he could make out what the object was.

A human skull.

Emma screamed, scrambling backwards in numb horror as the gleam of a femur bone protruded from the wall inches from her head. Paralyzed by fear, Shalimar hadn't moved, her terrified whimpers striking Brennan's ears as the roar of the fire dissipated, left with nothing to burn in the rock and slate cavern.

Except for the bones that had been thrown outward and toward them from the force of the blast. Driven into the wall and littering the ground around them, they burned in gruesome reminder.

Adam cursed under his breath, staring in disbelief. He hadn't made the connection. At least a dozen bodies, Jesse and Alex had guessed. The tunnel had been closed for over two decades. Methane was odorless, but was the primary gas created by rotting flesh. He should have known. His hands began to shake.

Jesse gagged as fire consumed the remaining brittle hair and flesh, vomiting as heat caused the decomposing skull to split and snap before his eyes. He groaned, wiping his mouth as he pushed himself back, forcing his eyes away from the gruesome sight, wincing as his eyes landed on the femur bone instead. "What the hell happened?" His voice was raspy in the eerie silence.

They looked at each other in shocked confusion, eyes wide and grim.

"Alex." Adam finally made the final connection.

Shalimar visibly flinched at his words, shoving a fist into her mouth, remembering. He had been in the tunnel when it exploded. She staggered to her feet, gasping as pain racketed out from her bruised chest where she had been shot.

"No!" Brennan pulled her back down and then released her, on his feet and halfway down the burnt tunnel before anyone else could react.

"Brennan!" Shalimar found her voice, screaming his name as he disappeared into the darkness. "No!" She leapt to her feet, frantically struggling as Adam's arms wrapped around her from behind, hissing as he inadvertently pressed against her bruised body.

"Wait!" He grunted as she twisted out of his grasp, reaching for her again. She only made it three steps before halting, Adam slamming into her as she unexpectedly stopped. He lifted his eyes, heart pounding, utterly spent with relief when two figures ran out of the blackness. He raised his hands to cup Shalimar's shoulders in comfort, but she was already gone, racing through the smoldering murkiness to meet them halfway. Adam was again struck with a feeling of awe as he watched the two men run side by side, simultaneously leaping over tumbled rock without breaking stride in perfect wordless communication.

Shalimar staggered to a stop, mouth open in silent surprise as she was struck with sudden awareness, watching Brennan and Alex. She hadn't really seen them together yet, hadn't noticed it before.

They moved the same.

They smelled the same.

She knew she had felt the same sense of familiarity and comfort from them, she just hadn't realized it was for a reason.

"Shal! Run!" It took her a moment to notice the panicked expressions on their faces as they neared her, diving for her as she hesitated, distracted.

Brennan sailed above her, grabbing her, twisting his body into a roll to soften the blow as he dragged her down to the ground. "Jesse! Mass!" Brennan shoved Shalimar beneath him, managing to bark out the order before Alex threw his body over theirs, knocking the wind out of him just as another fireball roared toward them. He felt searing heat seconds before Alex massed, realizing just how close they had been to the secondary blast. It seemed to last forever, but it was only moments before the head of the blast slowed, flames eagerly racing above them, but quickly dying out from lack of material and oxygen. Alex waited a few moments more before releasing his breath, pushing off Brennan with a painful grunt.

"Shalimar!" Brennan rolled off the feral, scrambling to his knees, cupping her face as she shakily sat up. "Shal?"

"Brennan?" Her voice was a hoarse whisper. Her head was down, eyes averted.

"It's ok, I'm here." He ran a shaky hand down her head, smoothing wild curls, pushing stray strands behind her ears, desperate to see her face as she leaned into his touch.

"Hey Bren?"

"Yeah?" He ducked his head, finding her eyes.

"Let's get out of here."

His heart ached at the vulnerability on her face, knowing how much she would hate it. "You got it." He caught her lips in a gentle kiss, pulling her up with him as he rose to his feet. He nodded at Alex, and then they were on the run again.

The underground facility had lost its lighting, lightbulbs shattered from the blasts. But once they moved past the destroyed office and caved-in hallway, they found the rest of the facility surprisingly intact, standing strong against the earthquakes and explosions. It was a silent, bedraggled group that finally sat down in sheer exhaustion in one of the labs.

Brennan groaned audibly in appreciation as he lay down on one of the beds. It didn't matter that it was old and musty, it felt like heaven to his bruised bones. His eyes closed only to pop back open a moment later, holding out a hand to Shalimar as she stood next to him. She gripped his fingers, sinking down on the bed, hip brushing against his shoulder. He started to sit up, but she stopped him with a gentle hand on his chest.

"Rest."

He smiled at her soft whisper, settling a hand on the small of her back as she leaned into him. Her hand stayed on his chest, curling into shirt.

"Now what?" Jesse scrubbed his face with tired hands as Emma slumped against him. "Whatever we hoped to find in the caves is lost now."

"What happened anyway?" Emma didn't even bother looking up as she spoke, she was too tired.

"I don't know," Alex shifted his feet uneasily. "I threw fire into the tunnel after the bastard that shot Shalimar, and it hit that dead-end wall. The next thing I know, it exploded."

"Methane gas." Adam spoke wearily, letting his heavy pack fall to the floor. "I believe the explosion was caused by gases created from the decaying remains you found back there. It must have built up, trapped by the cave-in until Alex inadvertently released it."

"Oh." Jesse looked sickened at the thought.

"Maybe we should try playing the disk again, Adam." Shalimar wiped a hand across her nose, leaving a streak of dirt on her cheek.

"I can't."

They all looked up sharply as Adam gritted his teeth in frustration. He had sunk to the ground, pulling his knees up and burying his face in his hands. They rarely saw their leader rattled, and it unnerved them now. They exchanged uneasy glances.

"Adam?" Emma winced as she stood up, hand pressed to her side as she crossed over to him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"They took it from me." Adam shrugged, looking up, arms dangling across his bent knees. He watched with bleary eyes as Jesse struggled back to his feet, sudden remembrance rousing him. He rose smoothly to his feet, frustration forgotten as he switched roles. It was the doctor in him that next spoke, reaching for Emma. "You were shot, how are you feeling?"

She hissed in pain as he pressed a hand against her stomach, face twisted in silent pain as he examined her for a moment.

His brows knitted in concern as he looked at the rest of his team. "Jesse, come here."

The molecular sighed, reluctantly coming forward, flinching as Adam lifted his shirt. A deep purple bruise was already beginning to form across his chest.

Adam pressed his lips together tightly. At least this was one thing he could heal. "We're fortunate, it could have been a lot worse."

"Fortunate?" Jesse's brows winged upward as he tugged his shirt back down.

"Shalimar?" Adam turned his attention on the feral next.

She shrugged, not moving. "I'm fine."

"You were hit twice." Brennan swung his long legs over the side of the bed as he sat up, cursing himself for forgetting.

She didn't move. "Just one more bruise."

Brennan shook his head at her matter-of-fact tone, framing her face with one hand, thumb stroking the gentle curve of her cheekbone. Her eyes were liquid warmth as they stared back at him, and he pulled her close, resting his forehead against hers.

"As soon as we get out of here—"

"Yeah, I know." She smiled at his whispered promise, hands rising to cup the back of his neck. Warm lips brushed unobtrusively against his for a brief second and then were gone, pulling away before the others could notice.

"So now what?" Jesse broke the silence, repeating his words from earlier. He watched as Adam dug through his pack, lost in thought. "Adam?"

Adam looked up at Jesse's prompting, pulling out the heavy bronzed tree statue. He set it on one of the counters, staring at it.

"Adam?" Shalimar hopped to her feet, crossing over to him.

"Do you have an idea?" Alex stepped up behind her, watching.

Adam didn't look up, fingers stroking the cool metal. "I wonder…" He gently pressed his thumb into the center indentation where the disk had fit. There was a click, and then gasps all around as another shimmering hologram appeared, of a much younger Dr. Shaw this time. Alex took a step back, and Shalimar placed a comforting hand on his arm as the image began to speak. They were shocked when it addressed Adam directly.

"Adam, if you are hearing this, it means I have sent you back here, for only your print can release this message." There was a shuffle and the doctor paused as he glanced over his shoulder. When he turned back around, his face was nervous. "I did it, Adam, I cracked the genetic code." He swallowed, throat tight. "But I have recently learned that others have been using my work as well." He leaned forward, almost whispering. "There have been rumors of—of experiments, creating life just to destroy it again, even of hidden caves. They are corrupt, evil. I've heard rumors of the existence of a list of names, but I do not know." He shook his head. "I suspect Genomex is funding it. Because of this, I have decided to hide my own research. This goes way back, Adam, further back than either of us could have ever imagined. I believe it's tied to the prophecy, the one we tried so hard to prevent. I have learned that our efforts were not entirely successful. The baby, he didn't die, Adam. We were deceived by Eckhart. He kept him for the prophecy, for his own gain to power. I fear what he plans to do." He paused for a moment as background noise startled him before starting up again, voice low and urgent. "The baby Adam, the baby is the key. Go back to where it all started. You found this message, I know you can find the research as well. Only you, Adam, I trust only you with my work."

The message ended abruptly as the young Dr. Shaw glanced over his shoulder once more and then cut the transmission. Adam's eyes had closed during the message, brows creased with concentration and pain. He wasn't surprised to find everyone staring at him when he reopened them.

Brennan finally broke the silence, voice bitter. "Well, are you going to tell us or do we have to ask?"

Adam's chin lifted imperceptively. "Alright, you deserve some answers." He paused, glancing at each one of them, ending on Alex. "Yes, I knew Evan Shaw. He was my partner before I left Genomex."

Brennan grunted in disgust. "Let me guess, you worked here."

"Yes."

"I knew it." Brennan turned pointedly to Shalimar, but pressed his mouth shut at her look.

"Why didn't you tell us, Adam?" Shalimar kept her tone neutral, not ready to cast judgment quite yet.

Adam recognized it, and threw her a brief smile. "I didn't know if it was connected."

"You must have known when you found the statue." Jesse's eyes were locked on the bronzed tree. "How did you know about it anyway?"

Adam's mouth twisted slightly. "Adam and Eve."

"What?"

Adam sighed. "Our colleagues jokingly called us Adam and Eve. Dr. Adam Kane and Dr. Evan Shaw, taking from the tree of life, like Adam and Eve in the garden."

Jesse nodded in understanding. "So the statue?"

"It was an inside message from Evan, he knew I would remember."

"You could have told us sooner." Brennan didn't want to give up his anger quite yet.

"We have more important things to worry about right now," Adam ignored Brennan's piercing glare. "We need to find that research, and we don't know how many more of Eckhart's men are still out there."

"He said you would know." Alex spoke up for the first time, voice quiet.

"What?" Adam turned toward him.

"In the message, he said you would know where the research was hidden." Alex lifted his eyes, expression inscrutable. "What else do you know? Did you know about this research or this--this baby he mentioned? Is it me? Do you know how I'm connected to all this?" He flinched, a flash of memory being relived, of faint screams terrifying his childhood mind. Rage surged and he took a step toward Adam, relaxing his tense stance only when Shalimar squeezed his arm, stepping slightly in front of him.

Brennan's eyes darted between them. She was using her body to block Alex from Adam. He jumped to his feet, walking up to her.

"Everyone just take it easy." Jesse stepped up as well. "Obviously we all have a lot of questions, but Adam's right, now is not the time."

Adam turned away, effectively putting his back to all of them in a show of authority. "We need to keep looking." His tone bode no argument.

"Where do you think he hid it?" Emma's soft-spoken voice eased the tension in the room as she addressed Adam. "Do you have any idea where to start?"

Adam hesitated in the doorway, not turning around. "I don't know." He stepped through the door, the darkness swallowing him whole.

Wordlessly, Alex followed him. The rest of the team looked at each other, shrugging, boots clipping loudly on the slate floor as they followed one by one through the door.

After Emma's fourth sigh, Jesse had had enough. He was grateful for the relative darkness as he reached out, pressing his fingers into the small of her back as they continued to walk. "What is it?"

"Hmm?" She glanced over her shoulder as he drew up along side her.

"I know something's bothering you."

Emma glanced sharply at him again. To his surprise, her expression was one of pain. She looked back down, staring at the musty hallway as Adam led them around a corner. Her brow furrowed as she finally answered in a low voice. "There's so much emotion here, I'm having trouble sorting it all."

He took a moment to process that. "Good or bad?"

She smiled slightly, making a curious, helpless gesture with one hand. "Both."

Jesse paused, pulling her around to face him. Her eyes, usually so clear, so full of gentle humor, were clouded with confusion. "Emma, are you ok?"

"Yeah," She resumed walking, aware of Brennan and Shalimar right behind them, comforted when Jesse again hurried alongside her, fingers finding the small of her back. "There's just a lot of secrets here, Jess."

He grunted under his breath, arm sliding around her waist in silent understanding. Her fingers shook slightly as they curled into his, wondering how much she should share. She stayed silent as they walked. There were so many degrees of emotion coming from so many different directions, but she had grown used to that over the years, so it didn't particularly bother her too much. She recognized all their open thoughts, respected their hidden boundaries. It was the blankness she felt from within that scared her.

"Bren, what's wrong?"

Shalimar's hand on his arm some time later pulled Brennan from his thoughts. He shook his head. "Nothing."

She frowned, pulling him aside, glancing at the others as they continued on in the darkness. "Talk to me."

"It's nothing." His eyes softened as he looked down at her. "Just thinking." His fingers reached up, wiping a streak of dirt off her cheek.

"About?"

He chuckled in chagrin when she pressed him further. "Ok, ok." Dirt gone, he ran the backs of his knuckles down the side of her face, marveling at the smoothness of her skin. "I was just thinking about those bones and how they must be tied to the experiments Dr. Shaw mentioned."

"Yeah, ok." She nodded, waiting for him to continue. The idea was horrific, but they had encountered many terrible things over the years. She shuddered to think they could take such things for granted. She watched as he opened his mouth and hesitated, only to close it again. He shook his head, struggling for words, and she was shocked to see the deep anguish in his eyes. "Brennan?"

"I think it's tied to the mist, Shal."

"What? What do you mean?" She reached up and cupped his face, pulling it back toward her when he tried to look away. "Brennan?"

"They're souls, Shal."

Her hand dropped limply at the words. "What?"

He looked away. "The mists, it's—it's the souls of all those people. They've been following us, haunting my dreams. They want us to know they were murdered."

Shalimar snapped her mouth shut when she realized it was hanging open. _Emma maybe, but not Brennan_. Brennan was the last one to believe in such a thing. "But Adam said—"

His head whipped back around at her words. "I don't care what Adam says, it's not just nitrogen." He clutched her arms, stance taut. "You saw it, the way it moved."

"But—"

"It _looked _at us, Shal, at Alex and me. It had a face. We both saw it."

Stunned, she stared back at him.

He smiled slightly at her expression, eyes seeming to grow darker as his face tightened. "Sounds crazy, I know."

She didn't want to hurt him. "No, I, ah—"

"You said you loved me."

_What?_ Her knees buckled slightly, leaning heavily on his arms as he caught her, continuing to speak.

"When I was dead, you said you loved me, and then you kissed me, right as Adam pulled you away."

"H—how—?"

He hesitated, mouth working. "I think for a moment, I really _died_. It was like I was a part of it, part of them."

She again found herself staring up at him.

"Am I crazy, Shal?"

The agony had returned to his eyes, bringing a physical ache to her heart. She licked her lips, mouth dry. "No," She managed to whisper. "No."

He groaned, pulling her to him, lips finding hers, insistent. There was an intensity in him that she'd never known before, and she found herself surrendering to his embrace, hands landing on his head and drawing him closer. She was aware of the hunger in his embrace, and she pressed closer against him as he held her. Abruptly he released her, whispering her name hoarsely. She looked up at him, and she knew the strength of her feelings showed in her eyes. She couldn't seem to hide them or control them. Brennan's own eyes kindled as he stared at her, and he took a deep breath, pulling her to him again. Her arms circled around his neck, and for long moments they clung together.

"We'll figure this out, Brennan, it'll be ok." Her eyes closed fearfully.

This was just the beginning.

There was so much more for him to discover.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: Just finished a rough draft for the final chapter and it's the longest one yet! I am getting way too wordy I think:) At 7000 words for this chapter and 9000 words for the final, these last two chapters are more like 8 chapters put together! But they just seemed to flow better when put together rather than being separated into smaller chapters, so I left them as they were. Thank you so much to kerry, hi, Meg (thank you!), CatJerica (You've about got it all! I think most of your questions will be answered now!), blackpanther2288 (Thank you! J/E have been a challenge to write, so glad you like how they turned out!), Mxfan214 (Glad you liked it!), bren88, Rain, Mayra (Adam has also been a challenge to write, so thank you!), Saphire Ravven8 (Hee-hee, I was trying to be creative! I think you'll get most of your answers now!), Rachel, Anne, Nicole, Fiery Feral, Redhead2 (Thank you so much! I hope I haven't missed anything either, I had to also go back to make sure everything was being addressed!). AliasFan-MutantKitty, I think this chapter should clear things up for you, but just to clarify, one of Adam's flashbacks in chapter 12 revealed that the "girl" was actually a boy and they were deceiving the mother. There's more explanation at the end of this chapter as well. Thank you! So now, here are the answers to most of the plot lines, I saved a few smaller ones for the final chapter. I've been dropping suble hints in each chapter and gave major hints in the last chapter, so I hope it answers everything for you, and I hope the outcome doesn't disappoint! Thank you!

Traveling Souls—Chapter Fourteen

She loved being in his arms. The sensation was still new; two years of scarcely daring to dream, imagining only in secret, suddenly opening up in the past few days. She didn't think she would ever grow tired of the feeling. Body bruised and sore, physically and mentally exhausted, Shalimar allowed herself the brief luxury of enjoying the comfort his arms brought. She could pretend, even if for a moment, that all was well. Brennan's hands began to move, gently stroking up and down her back, and she shivered, mind slamming shut, forgetting everything but the pleasure his touch elicited naturally from her body. Her arms uncurled from around his neck, fingers running lightly along his broad shoulders, feeling the strength in him. She had never had such strong instinctive reactions from someone who wasn't a feral before, and she bit her lip to stop the growl that automatically sprang to her lips, dragging her hands slowly down his chest. She heard his sharp intake of breath, felt his chest swell with air beneath her hands as his body tensed in reactionary awareness. His head turned, lips seeking hers as his hands dropped to her hips, pulling her closer against him. One hand roamed, sliding under the edge of her shirt, knuckles warm as they tickled her stomach. She heard herself whimper, and he answered by bringing his mouth more fully over hers, hand turning, bringing his palm flat against her skin, fingers splayed. And then he pressed.

Shalimar wasn't quite able to hide the wince.

He released her immediately, the guilt streaking across his face before she could even speak. "I'm sorry—"

"Shh, no." She kissed him, swallowing his protest.

"Shal," Brennan reluctantly broke the kiss, hands catching hers when she reached for him again. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine."

He had to smile at her stubbornness, taking her back slightly. "I know." His whisper stirred her hair as he dropped a soft kiss on her temple, arms gathering her close with infinite care, loosely resting his hands on the small of her back, cautious of her bruises. She sighed in acquiescence, leaning against him, resting her cheek against his chest.

"Brennan! Shalimar!"

They both startled, chuckling when Adam hollered their names out of the darkness.

"Yeah, we're coming!"

Shalimar lifted her head from his chest as Brennan called back, lips smiling ruefully, brows rising.

"Later."

He smiled back in silent understanding as they both whispered the word at the same time. Some things never changed. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they started forward again, her arm slipping around his waist, gentle because of his own bruises, free hand resting on his chest. They could see the shadowed figures of the others ahead of them, turning back around and continuing on as they approached.

"Stay close." Adam's frown could be heard clearly in his tone.

Sometimes Adam could play the overbearing father figure too accurately, Shalimar mused, although she couldn't blame him this time. Her grip tightened around Brennan. They were in the house of the enemy, bruised and battle-worn, and Adam had every right to be nervous. _Adam_. She frowned, eyes narrowing. He had more than one thing to be nervous about. Brennan had accused him of keeping secrets, and she had defended him. She thought of the messages, of Alex, of twins. The clues had been right there in front of them all along. They had just not connected the dots. With everything happening, there hadn't been time. Nor had they had reason to. But in some strange way, it all made sense to her now, the strong feelings she had for both of them, the draw they seemed to have on her. She had unknowingly sensed they were family all along, her family. She looked around her, face tight. Brennan was a part of all this and he didn't even know. But Adam, he had to know. Had he known all along? Her eyes flickered ahead at their leader's tense back, licking her dry lips.

"Hey Bren?"

"Hmm?" He looked down at her whispered inquiry.

"Tell me about your twin sister."

His face reflected his surprise. "Arabella? What about her? There's not much to tell, you know that, Shal."

"Yeah, I suppose." She sighed, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. "I just—just have to wonder if there's more."

"More?" He echoed her in confusion. "More what?"

Her eyes darted to Alex's broad back. "I don't know, maybe more to the story than we know about."

Brennan stopped walking. "Where's this come from, Shal?"

She glanced back up at him, fidgeting as Adam, having realized they stopped again, started toward them in exasperation. She gripped Brennan's hands. "Do you trust me?"

"Always." His answer was immediate despite his quizzical expression.

She raised her voice. "Then ask Adam about your twin."

Adam froze mid-step, heart dropping when he saw Shalimar's face. Over ten years working with the feral, he could read her well. _She knew_. He was almost surprised it had taken her this long to notice the similarities. _But not now._ He cleared his throat, starting forward. "Shalimar—"

Brennan's brows furrowed at Adam's warning tone, glancing between them. "What?"

She crossed her arms, chin lifting. "Ask him."

He couldn't read her inscrutable expression. Brennan's mouth soured, stomach twisting with dread. "Adam?"

"What's going on?" Tired of waiting, Jesse had wandered over to them, taken back by their grim faces. "What?"

They ignored him, Adam's face tense as he stared hard at Shalimar. "We can discuss this later, now is _not_ the time."

"Discuss what?" Alex joined in next, Emma stepping up next to Jesse, eyes wide as she picked up the nervous energy.

"My twin." Brennan was impatient, recognizing something was being kept from him.

"You have one too?" Alex spoke without thought.

They both paused as the words hit them.

The room was suddenly silent as they stared at each other.

Adam closed his eyes, feeling the situation spiraling out of his control.

"This isn't a coincidence, is it Adam." Brennan's voice has dropped dangerously low.

All eyes turned to Adam.

"Is it, Adam." Brennan's voice rose, demanding, asking, but somehow already knowing. He wanted to hear it aloud.

"Wait, hold on a minute," Jesse held out a hand in confusion. "This can't be right, Brennan has a sister."

"One he's never seen." Shalimar placed a hand on his back, but he shrugged it away. She stubbornly placed it back. "He was only told his twin was a girl." Her eyes closed at the violent emotion seething from him. He had always had trouble trusting, had worked so hard to tenuously rebuild his faith in anyone, but now… Her hand fell limply to her side.

"You were lied to," Jesse's mouth dropped in realization.

"My mother would've never lied to me," Brennan's teeth were gritted. "That means someone lied to her."

Alex paled at the word mother, struggling to understand.

Brennan understood his train of thought. "She's dead." His tone softened slightly, not quite able to look at Alex. "For the most part, I grew up alone." The man he had hated was suddenly his brother. He turned, nauseated.

Alex made a guttural sound deep in his throat. "And I grew up with Eckhart."

"Adam?" Brennan sounded almost resigned, back turned to the rest of them as he leaned against the wall. For some reason, that scared Shalimar more than his anger.

"Yes, it's true."

_Damn it._ Brennan rammed a fist into the wall, not turning around.

Adam rubbed his face, he needed to regain control. Their situation was already tenuous, the mission in jeopardy. They couldn't afford to mess it up now. "I need you all to understand, I did not know any of this was connected to Brennan."

"But you figured it out somewhere along the line." Shalimar spoke when no one else did.

"I began to suspect yes, but by then I couldn't tell you, not when we were in the middle of the mission, not like this." His arms flung out helplessly.

"Why not?" Alex's face was calm, but his tone was deadly.

Emma had been standing back, unable to handle the barrage of emotions, but her head came up sharply, watching him. "Jesse?"

Jesse heard her whisper as Adam struggled to explain, stepping back, following her line of sight. _Alex_. Tiny sparks were dripping from his fingers, evidence of barely contained rage. Jesse inched in front of Adam.

"Why not?" Alex repeated his question, control beginning to slip.

The man was a hotbed of turbulent emotions. Not unlike another Elemental, Jesse suddenly realized with a pang. But where Brennan was all steam, this man was fire. He tensed, eyes glued on a spark as it sizzled in the air.

Adam's attention was still on Brennan. "It was a long time ago. Gabriel Ashlocke had just finally been subdued when a young precog, just a child himself, gave a prophecy of twins, which together, would be the most powerful mutants ever known. Scans showed these twins had all four new mutant elements." Brennan's head lifted as he spoke. Adam paused, taking a deep breath. "Elemental, molecular, psionic, and…feral."

_Feral?_ Shalimar's eyes darted between Brennan and Alex.

Adam stared at Brennan's back. "Another Achlocke syndrome was feared, and Eckhart ordered the twins podded at birth." Brennan's shoulders hunched as Alex sucked in air. Adam dropped his head. "I managed to convince him to separate them instead. Evan and I were partners at the time; we monitored the pregnancy, discovering one had more elements than the other. The less powerful twin was sent home with the mother, while the other was given away for adoption, to a special family equipped to deal with the consequences. We--we knew she desperately wanted a son, and was nervous about having the funds to raise two babies, so we told the mother that her firstborn was a girl, but was sickly and needed expensive medical treatments. We…convinced her to give her up."

Adam fell quiet, watching as Brennan slowly turned around. When he finally lifted his face, his eyes were unrecognizable. "So you separated us to save us."

"Yes."

His mouth flattened. "So you're just the hero."

Adam winced at Brennan's scathing tone. "I can't condone what I did, but at the time, I believed it was for the best."

"What about me?" Alex interrupted, taking a step closer. "You left me in the hands of that madman."

"No," Adam lifted his chin, laying a hand on Jesse's shoulder when he blocked his path. "It's ok," He whispered at the younger man.

Jesse hesitated, glancing at Emma, moving slowly aside when she nodded.

"Alex—" Shalimar watched him uncertainly, recognizing the darkness that flickered in his eyes, the sparks brewing as his fingertips rubbed together at his sides.

"Alex," Adam kept his tone neutral. "I never knew. I don't know why Evan left you in that pod all those years, but back then, we were deceived as well. Soon after you were adopted, we were told you died. I saw you born; I tried so hard to do what I thought was right. I never would have deserted you had I known."

"Alex?" Shalimar left Brennan's side, placing a hand on his arm.

He shuddered, emotion shifting in his eyes for a tense moment before he closed his fists, nodding, eyes closing wearily.

"So you actually knew Brennan as a baby." Jesse seized the thought, desperate to relieve the tension.

"Yes," Adam smiled for the first time. "He was big, grabbed my finger with surprising strength when he wasn't more than two minutes old."

"Wanting his own way from the start," Jesse looked almost amused at the thought, missing the warning look Emma shot him. "I bet you have some interesting stories you could tell—"

"Shut up, Jesse!" He fell quiet again as Brennan snapped in irritation, turning back toward his mentor. "Two years, Adam." His eyes flared. "Two years I've lived with you. I deserved to know the truth."

Adam sighed heavily, regretfully. "You have to understand Brennan, I thought Alex was dead all these years, and you'd already been through enough pain for one lifetime."

Brennan's arms crossed, body trembling with anger. "That should have been my decision."

Shalimar was torn. She leaned into Alex for a brief moment, squeezing his arm, gone before he could respond. Brennan barely reacted when she stepped up alongside him in support. "You could have told us once we got here."

Adam nodded. "I understand your being angry, but I had to keep my suspicions to myself for the sake of the mission. I couldn't take the risk of your losing focus. It's too important that Eckhart not get his hands on the research."

"It's that important?" Brennan hissed angrily.

"Yes," Adam threw back, mouth twisting wryly. "If Eckhart got ahold of that research, those bones we found, all those innocent mutants that were experimented on, would be just the beginning. He would continue to create and play with innocent lives until he perfected the process and then would use it to his advantage. I could not take that risk, not with your temper and not with so many lives at stake." Brennan grunted, but Adam saw a flash of bitter understanding in his eyes. He almost snorted at the irony, knowing the feeling all too well. Knowing the truth didn't make it any easier to bear.

The hallway fell silent, filled with the enormity of emotion. Brennan turned again, leaning forward into the wall, and after a moment, Shalimar pressed into his back, arms wrapping around him. He didn't say anything, but she felt the shudder run through him, felt his hand grab desperately onto hers, locking their fingers tightly together. Her bruised front to his bruised back, she laid her head between his shoulder blades, willing the pain away.

"Adam, if you knew Dr. Shaw, did you know about this research?" Emma spoke up for the first time. Her head was down, hand pressed to her temple as she fought to regain control.

Adam's hesitation was minute. "No." Her head shot up, giving him a sharp look. She stayed silent, but he could feel her eyes watching him for a long time after. Water dripped from somewhere in the background, and he sighed, kneading his temple tiredly. His gaze bounced around the room, finally clearing his throat. "Alright, we need to keep moving. The research is still out there somewhere, and we don't know how much time we have before Eckhart or his agents reappear." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Evan said the baby was the key and to go back to where it all started, so I want us to search the lab again."

_That's it? He wants to pick up like nothing even happened?_ Brennan shoved away from the wall. "I need some air," He muttered to Shalimar, dropping her hand. She watched with a heavy heart as he walked away.

"Where are you going?" Adam's voice rose incredulously. "The mission—"

"Screw the mission, it can wait!"

"Adam," Two steps into following, Shalimar hesitated, turning to look back. "I can't let him go off alone."

"Yeah." Adam waved her on.

She found him at the entrance, slumped against the wall, staring at his hands as he danced a tiny arc of blue back and forth.

He didn't have to look up to know it was her. "I'm sick and tired of his secrets, Shal."

"I know."

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry when she didn't refute him. She always had in the past when they disagreed about Adam. He shifted when she sank down beside him, laying her head on his shoulder. A moment later, her hand gently squeezed his thigh, creeping up the length of his body. He smiled slightly, fingers closing to extinguish the sparks. Her hand reached his, fingers twined together, and he clung to the feeling.

They were quiet, leaning into each other.

"I have a brother, Shal."

She smiled at the confusion in his voice. His mind must be reeling, anger battling with wonderment at this latest turn of events.

He paused, making a face at the next thought. "It's Alex."

She couldn't help but laugh at his petulant tone. He was going to be fine. Once he worked past his feelings of shock and betrayal, he would discover a whole new world of emotion.

His expression changed again. "I never saw that one coming."

"I was just thinking the same thing."

They both looked up as Alex approached.

He stopped a few yards away, hands shoved in his pockets. "Mind if I join you?"

Shalimar couldn't help but smile to herself as she sensed both their sudden nervousness. She discreetly nudged Brennan, and he roused, starting to his feet. She stood up as well, standing back as they stared at each other, proud when Brennan finally held out his hand.

"Twins, huh?" Brennan's voice was hoarse, adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed tightly.

"Who knew?" Alex's own voice was thick with emotion as he reached out. They clasped hands almost solemnly, looking each other up and down. Though obviously fraternal, they posed a striking picture with their broad shoulders and messy dark hair. Brennan was slightly taller, muscles more developed from years of training. She pressed her lips together when she wondered if Alex's leaner look was due to his years spent inside a pod. They had both been through so much. Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears, and when they looked at her, she was struck by the depth of their chocolate brown eyes. Her lips trembled tumultuously when she smiled at them both, pressing her fingers to her mouth.

"Well," Brennan cleared his throat, trying to break the tension. "I'm obviously the better looking one." His mouth twitched as Alex's brows winged upward, smiling when he huffed in rebuttal.

"I don't think so." Amusement shone in Alex's eyes.

"Don't look at me," Shalimar held up her hands when she realized they were both waiting expectantly.

They laughed together, as much as in relief as in nervousness, smiles faltering again in the ensuing silence.

Brennan cleared his throat again. "So now what?"

They looked uneasily around the facility. Even in the dimness, the cobwebs could easily be seen, quieting forming and hanging heavy from years of desertion.

The answer came to them silently, in the form of thick vaporous mists drifting over their heads.

"Brennan!" Shalimar gasped, remembering.

"I know." He nodded grimly, exchanging glances with Alex.

They had been the only three to try to understand the mist.

And they had been the only three to ever really see it.

Brennan swallowed as it floated over their heads, hesitating, following it after a moment's hesitation.

"Brennan—" Shalimar whispered fearfully when he walked toward it, shocked when it began to move again.

Silently, they followed it as it led them away from the front entrance, back down a hallway.

"This is too creepy," Alex murmured as it drifted through the doorway of the lab.

"Back to where it all started." Brennan felt a shiver run down his spine, stepping through the door of his birthplace, aware of the strangeness of it all, being led by eerie fog and his brother, the man who was also Shalimar's long lost…whatever, flanking on his right side. He swallowed convulsively.

As they watched, the mist stopped by the back wall, hung heavily for a moment, and then shot straight up into the air.

"Think it's trying to tell us something?" Brennan quirked an eyebrow, cautiously approaching the area. He ran his fingers over the smooth plaster, aware of the mist directly above him. He felt nothing. No doors, no cracks or seams, nothing. "Well, this is a little anti-climactic," Brennan finally grunted, turning away in disappointment. He leaned his back against the wall, banging on it for good measure.

"That's strange." Shalimar tilted her head.

"What?" Alex was still watching the mist dangling above Brennan.

"This is the only room with plastered walls. Everywhere else is exposed rock or slate."

"You're right," Brennan straightened up again, pounding on the wall once more. His mouth stretched in a grin. "That sound a little hollow to you?"

"Oh yeah." Alex grinned back. "What do you say we take a peek at what's behind the magic curtain?" He rammed a fist into the wall before Brennan or Shalimar could respond, gasping as his knuckles crunched against the hard surface, pain radiating up his arm. "Never mind," He managed to squeak out, tears pooling his eyes as he shakily pulled his fist back. Cracked plaster revealed a shiny lead surface a few inches behind the wall. "Damn," He swore, holding his throbbing fist between his knees.

Shalimar placed a sympathetic hand on his rounded back as she passed him, biting down to hide her smile as he continued to mutter obscenities. "You ok?"

"Yeah," He braced his hand with the other, tentatively uncurling his fingers, hissing in air between his teeth.

"Check it out." Brennan broke off a chunk of the cracked plaster. "It looks like a metal door or wall or something back here."

Shalimar joined him and they made quick work of knocking down the thin plastered wall. Fine white powder billowed in the air, coating them, and Brennan sneezed violently several times in a row. Shalimar patted his chest, grinning up at him in amusement when more of the white dust flew into the air. He wiped his nose, making a face at her as they turned back to the metal wall exposed by the jagged section of drywall they had torn away.

"There's a seam," Brennan crowed in triumph. He ran his fingers over the cool metal, shoulders drooping in disappointment when he found nothing. "Damn it!" He kicked the door, wincing.

"Hey Bren," Shalimar's fingers curled around his shoulder. "You might want to try the door panel."

He lifted his eyes to where she was pointing, seeing a panel high up on the wall with two buttons. "Oh."

She grinned, wisely staying silent as he reached up and pressed a button. A clicking sound near their feet had both of them jumping backwards just as a six by six section of the wall began to move, the upper half rising into the ceiling and the bottom half dropping into the floor. Shalimar stepped forward, peering into the darkness within. Brennan's hand grabbed her instantly, but nothing happened.

"Why does this seem too easy?" Alex piped up from behind them, still cradling his fist.

"Probably because it is," Brennan muttered, pulling Shalimar back as she started to step through the parted wall. "Let me." He took a breath and stepped through, relieved when nothing happened. He took another step, gasping when something struck his head.

"What?" Shalimar started toward him, confused when he laughed.

"It's ok," Brennan reached up, pulling on the string that dangled above him. A single bare light bulb blazed to life, revealing a large white room.

It was another office.

Shalimar peered in, shaking her head in disbelief. "This is weird." Wispy mists curled lazily around her arms, and she sucked in a breath, stepping backwards, deciding Brennan could handle it just fine. She scurried back to Alex to check on his hand.

Brennan's voice echoed from the next room a moment later. "You're not going to believe this!"

"What did you find?" Shalimar called back to him.

"Another tree statue! Just like the other one!"

"That's got to be it!" Shalimar stood up from where she had been leaning against a dusty lab bed, smile faltering a moment later when she heard a distinctive clicking sound.

And the wall began to move.

"BRENNAN!"

Brennan looked up from across the white room, freezing when he saw the top and bottom sections of the metal wall moving, closing with frightening speed.

"Brennan! Run!"

Shalimar's scream galvanized him. He grabbed the statue, tucking it under his arm like a football and took off running. The lower section of wall was almost four feet high and still moving when Brennan hit it. Slapping a hand to the top, he launched himself up and over with a tremendous heave of his shoulder muscles. He shot over the top of the wall, feeling the upper section grazing his head as he tucked and rolled awkwardly, the bulk of the statue throwing him off center as he came to his feet. Sheer momentum would have carried him further, but Shalimar threw herself into his path, snagging his free arm as he sailed past. They spun and were slammed up against the opposite wall.

The metal wall clanged shut behind him.

Pulse slamming madly in his throat, Brennan looked down at Shalimar's wide eyes. "I knew that was going too well," He managed to pant, feeling every half healed bruise on his body screaming out.

Shalimar huffed, slowly releasing the deathgrip she had on his arms.

"Guys, look." Alex's grim voice caught their attention and they turned, staring in stunned surprise to find the door panel had completely vanished. "No wonder it was so easy," Alex shook his head. "They didn't care about anyone getting in; they just didn't want anyone getting out."

"Uhhh," Brennan exhaled his breath, dropping his head on Shalimar's shoulder. She rested one hand on the back of his head, fingers curling into his short hair. More plaster dust stirred from his dark head, and they both simultaneously sneezed, knocking heads.

"I'm really getting tired of this place," Shalimar groaned, hands gripping her throbbing temple, glaring as Alex chuckled aloud.

"What do you know," Alex spoke a moment later as he picked up the fallen statue. "We found it." He fumbled for a moment, pulling a tiny bronze-colored disk from the trunk of the tree a moment later. "Just like the other one."

"I can't believe it." Pain forgotten, Shalimar took a step forward. "The secret of the genetic code."

Alex held the tiny disk with something between awe and disgust. "Everything we've been through, it's all for this." He shook his head, staring at the unassuming plastic between his fingers. Before the others could react, his hand closed around it, and with a burst of flame, it was gone.

"What are you doing?" Angry, Brennan ran forward, grabbing his arm, but the disk was already destroyed. "Are you crazy!"

Alex's dark eyes showed no remorse. "Eckhart could have used it to destroy more lives. It's not worth it."

"Not worth it!" Brennan stared at the other man in shock. "Adam could have used that to save us!"

"No one else should have to suffer like those people did, like I did!"

"Brennan, look." Shalimar placed a gentle hand on his arm, eyes turning upward. He glanced up impatiently, heart stopping, then thumping erratically in his chest. The mist. It was moving again, into the exposed white room, gathering into a thick, smoky column that whirled around a few times and then dissipated, releasing into the air. It could have been his imagination, but Brennan felt a sudden sense of tranquility. A soft hiss of air, like a quiet sigh, brushed past him, and his mouth stretched into a smile.

It dropped a moment later when a scream shattered the silence.

"That's Emma!" Shalimar was the first one out the door, Brennan and Alex right behind her.

"What in the---" Brennan was cut off as alarms started to blare, deafening loud, and security grates began closing behind them.

"Run!" Shalimar dove under a door that began to lower in front of them, rolled and then was back on the run. She should have known something was wrong. The others, they had planned on going to the lab as well. Adrenaline surging, she pushed her body faster, careening around the corner. She could sense Michael, and she slowed, turning back around to warn Brennan and Alex only to flounder as a sudden groan and explosion of water knocked her off her feet. Hands grabbed her, and she came up gasping, realizing Brennan was trying to yell over the torrents of water spewing from the walls.

"It must be some sort of security system!"

"Michael!"

"What?"

Already, water was swirling around Shalimar's knees. Another scream rent the air, and she took off, racing as fast as possible through the jets of water. Brennan staggered up along side her, arm gripping her waist as the force of the water almost knocked her down. She felt his chest vibrate and could only assume he was calling for the others. The sound of the water seemed to get louder as the hallway filled.

They staggered around another corner, entering a larger main room, only to slam to a halt.

Across the large space, Adam was unconscious, head bobbing above the water as Emma struggled to hold him up. Parts of the walls had collapsed around them, evidence of the geological mutant's handiwork, and Jesse was nowhere to be seen.

"Help me!"

Emma's scream could be heard above the roar, and Shalimar started forward, growling when Alex stopped her with a rough arm around her waist.

"No, Shal!" He screamed in ear. "Let me!" He pushed her back into Brennan, surging powerfully forward through the deepening water.

Shalimar followed anyway, shouting, but Brennan could barely hear her. The water level was high enough that she was swimming more than walking, and he wasn't doing much better. He reached for her, stumbling when she suddenly halted again. Her eyes slid into yellow, lips peeled angrily back, and he understood when he followed her gaze upward to see Michael standing on a catwalk high above them. Shalimar snarled, and Brennan's hold tightened on her just as he felt her muscles tensing, about to spring.

"Let me go!" She struggled against him, easily breaking free.

"Not without me!" Brennan stubbornly grabbed her again, fighting her. "We are not splitting up!"

"Alright, alright!" She glanced across the room to see Alex had reached Adam and Emma before turning her sight back above. "I want him, Brennan."

The mutant finally noticed them, grinning down evilly before sauntering down the catwalk.

"Then let's get him." Brennan's hand automatically fell to Shalimar's waist, boosting her up and out of the water and up onto his shoulders. He felt her fumble for a moment, both hissing in pain, and then her feet pressed against his broad frame, launching into the air. There was the creak of rusted metal, the roar of the water, and then a heavy clang as she dropped a ladder down. Brennan grinned, pulling himself up. The catwalk swayed as he hoisted himself over. He staggered ungracefully to his feet, clinging to the edge until he found his balance. He saw the flash of Shalimar's teeth in the darkness, and then they started forward, twenty feet above the ground. A mid-air run of unconnected catwalks, Brennan blindly followed Shalimar as she ran confidently through the dark, leaping from one section to another. Michael's feet could be seen disappearing over the edge of another catwalk above them, and she narrowed her eyes, feeling the end of the journey in sight. She flew down the metal walk, pausing at the end. "What's wrong?" Brennan panted as she hesitated. "Oh." He found the answer on his own, glancing up at the upper catwalk Michael had maneuvered. At least six feet above them and two feet of horizontal space between them, it looked impossible.

"Shal—"

But she was already gone.

The catwalk creaked and swayed as she sprang off it, and Brennan grabbed the railing in disbelief. Too wet to jet propel himself over, he was stuck.

"Brennan!"

Startled, he heard Shalimar's whisper just before she seemed to fall backward over the edge, knees hooked around the metal rung. He blinked when her arms dangled in his face. He grinned, shaking his head before reaching up to grab hold.

Almost thirty feet above the ground, it was pitch dark. Before Shalimar had finished unhooking her knees and hauling herself back up, Brennan was already gone. She growled under her throat, the blaring alarms and roaring water interfering with her ability to sense him. She held herself motionless for a moment, tense, searching, when a hand suddenly touched her lightly on the shoulder and made a familiar sweep down her back. Her shoulders relaxed, and she sighed. Brennan. His hand nudged her forward, and she took two steps before she realized something was off with his gait.

She concentrated on keeping her steps steady, shock crashing down her spine.

Years of working together, every time he had come close, she had found herself bathed in a scent achingly familiar to her. It had reassured her on so many a time. It was absent now. Eyes widening in fury, she whirled. Instantly, arms wrapped themselves around her from behind, a hand clamping down over her face.

"Too slow." The maddening grin that flashed in her face infuriated her. Through the roar, she heard a scuffle ahead of her, recognizing Brennan's scent immediately. He moaned, and unexpectedly, something uncontrollable triggered within. She trembled slightly, body starting to shake. Michael chuckled, misinterpreting it for fear, and she gave in to the primitive rage. She sank her teeth into the fleshy palm that held her, ruthlessly kicking upward, feeling her boots slam into bone and muscle. There was a howl and then the hands that held her were ripped away by the force of the blow. A flash of electricity lit up the darkness, highlighting Brennan's outstretched arm as he grounded himself with the other, and the contorted face of Michael when it struck, body shaking as the light died out. The catwalk trembled violently, his arm glowing red as he screamed, hanging onto the edge for a breathless moment. Shalimar didn't move, the sound of a body hitting the floor finally releasing her, and she scrambled to the edge, peering down. Brennan dropped beside her, arm clamping onto her as he stared down beside her at the fallen enemy, the harshness of their breathing the only sound.

Until the catwalk gave a great groan.

They screamed as it shuddered, one end dropping suddenly. Brennan slammed into the floor of the catwalk, and then he started to fall. Teeth clenched as fingers grabbed, slipped, then caught and held. A body bumped into his, and he turned his head to see Shalimar dangling next to him.

"Did I mention how tired I am of this place?" Even strained, she managed to inject humor into her voice.

"Shut up and climb," Brennan's mouth grimaced into a grin of sorts as he grunted a response, unsuccessfully trying to ignore the shooting pain running up and down his body.

The catwalk shuddered before they could move, and with a final heaving groan, it fell, crashing into the darkness below.

Ironically, it was the water that saved them.

Slamming upward in a mighty roar, the deafening silence below was startling, straining their eardrums as they plunged nine feet into the cold darkness. Brennan's back scraped rock, and then instinct drove him up, kicking desperately in the swirling madness. His head hit something, and stunned, he realized it was the floor, equilibrium completely messed up in the freezing murkiness. A hand grabbed him, Shalimar's face hazy next to his, tugging him up, and then his head broke the surface, lungs greedily sucking in air.

"Shalimar! Brennan!"

It was Emma's terrified voice that caught their attention. Shalimar waved, signaling her, and then painfully, wearily, they swam their way toward her, another dose of adrenaline kicking in when they saw the look on her face.

She clung to the top of a door, the water level well above her head, clutching Adam as he lay half draped over the metal top.

Her eyes were open, squinted, voice rasping when she spoke. "Jesse." It was all she managed to say, but it was enough.

Brennan spun around in the water, Dread jackhamering in his chest when neither Jesse nor Alex were anywhere to be seen. Shalimar gave a sudden cry, fingers digging into his shoulder as she treaded water beside him.

And then he saw it.

It was hard to make out the scene at the bottom. The water was murky, the result of a partial wall collapse, but two bodies could be seen. One lay motionless, partially buried under rubble, occasional air bubbles the only indication he was alive. Anther figure jackknifed through the water, hands finding his face, head dipping forward, the purpose of his action suddenly clear as he spun and sluggishly swam back to the surface.

Shalimar gave a horrified whimper as Emma struggled to fill in the blanks. Unable to leave Adam, she was forced to hold him, watching as Alex swam back and forth, breathing for Jesse.

He was trapped.

And Alex couldn't get him out.

The unfairness after everything they had already been through seemed to spin and tilt as Brennan struggled for control, surging forward just as Alex's dark head broke the surface.

"Thank god." Alex's tired whisper when he saw them brought instant tears to Brennan's eyes, stinging with the cuts on his face.

Above the shrieking alarms, the rushing of water, Brennan found his brother.

They exchanged determined glances, sucking in air before disappearing beneath the surface side by side.

Shalimar was right behind them, heading straight for Jesse's head as Brennan and Alex dove straight for the base of the collapse. Her hands slid across his face, somehow angry when she found a light coating of mud and silt covering it. She stirred the water, clearing his face, touching him comfortingly when he suddenly started to struggle. Her heart broke, knowing how much it must cost him to lay there, trapped, helpless. Claustrophobic, he surged again, and she fought to clear the rubble from his shoulders. A shudder ran through his body, and then he was still. Her hands found his face again, clearing the silt, pinching his nose and blowing into his mouth. Bubbles rushed between them, and then she was forced to the surface. Her head bopped above water, and she gasped air, ready to go back down when she saw they had freed him. Tears flowed unchecked as she changed direction, swimming to Emma, clenching the exhausted woman's shoulders as they sobbed together in relief.

When they staggered outside, the contrast was blinding. Days spent in dust and darkness, the sweet coolness of the mountain air was startling, the brightness of the overhead sun almost too painful to bear. Pine needles crunched gently beneath them as they collapsed, spent onto the mossy ground. For a moment, they lay there stunned, overwhelmed by all they had endured. Earthquakes and cave-ins, flooding waters, and swirling mists, burning fire and ancient murders, secrets and revelations; it had been an impossible journey. Yet with simple actions, they established their worth. They simply were what Eckhart longed to be, powerful, fighting for something worth saving. Worth dying for. A half step left of the abyss was a world where shadows waited. Men like Michael were lost when they sold their souls too cheaply. Mercenaries who did not value what they held, whose weaknesses became strengths in another's grasp. It was something the enemy always failed to recognize, and something that gave them the strength to endure.

Hope.

Trust.

Belief.

Someone laughed, and the others joined in, overwhelming joy and mirth bubbling forth in the stillness of the mountain beauty.

The roaring had been silenced.

_A/N II: Part of the idea for this story came from Brennan's backstory as described in the European version of the MX DVD's: "…They discovered Alice, Brennan's mother, was carrying fraternal twins, a boy and a girl, and that it was highly likely that both twins would inherit her defective genes. Alice immediately snatched at the glimmer of hope offered by the project. The twins were genetically engineered, leaving Alice with a new and terrible choice. Barely subsisting on welfare, she hadn't considered exactly how she was going to afford to raise one child, let alone two. Alice gave the girl, who she named Arabella, up for adoption and kept the boy, Brennan. In her heart, she knew the right thing to do was to give up both children, but she so wanted to have a child of her own. Alice died when Brennan was barely ten and after bouncing around from foster home to foster home, the kid found himself on the street…" I was given the request to give Brennan a brother instead of a sister, hence the start of this story! I was also given the request of a season two story, so set this story between 221 and 222, and tried to weave in elements from 222 into the plot, so that in theory, other than the romance, that episode could pick up right after this story. 222 opens with the team pretending to be buyers for a list of names, created by a Dr. Haines, whose genetic material can be used to crack the code. I reference this list and use it as the reason for creating Dr. Shaw and his research. 222 is also when the team learns about Adam's involvement in gene sequence research, so in this story, he denies knowing about the existence of the research as the team cannot know that yet. I also reference the precog from episode 320, but never introduce him since they don't learn his name or meet him until almost a year later. But I thought he would be an interesting element to use as well, so created a backstory for him since all we know about him from 320 is that he was a surviving member of the links, working with Ashlocke. Since we learned in 201 that some of the Links were former Genomex employees from when Ashlocke podded Eckhart, I created his story around that idea. The facility and Evan and of course Alex are all original creations/characters. Huge thanks to Mari for so many of the plot ideas in this story and for naming the characters, Alex for Arabella and Evan for the "Adam and Eve" reference. Thank you. _


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: Well, here we are at the end of another story! This final chapter is extremely long and is really the length of several chapters put together. I debated separating them out, but felt it flowed much better all together and didn't want to lose the momentum or the emotion, so kept it this way. That is why there are fewer chapters in this story, although with overall length, this is actually my longest story yet! For those that asked about the European DVD's that show character backstories, including the one for Brennan where this plot idea came from, I unfortunately do not have access to the DVD's either. But I belong to a MX Yahoo Group where a European member was kind enough to post the backstories a few years ago, so I was able to go back into the email archives to find them. Also for those who have asked, I am not sure yet if I will do a sequel to this story. I imagine I probably will, but currently do not have a plot in mind. This story was intended to take place immediately before ep 222, so a sequel would have to branch off into an AU world before 222 or would have to pick up immediately after 222 with the death of Emma and the appearance of Lexa. Let me know if you have any requests! No guarantees, but I'll do my best. :) Blackpanther—you're right! I did make an error with Brennan not being able to ground himself on a metal catwalk! Oops! Thanks for catching that! Mayra, you caught the last little bit I was saving for this chapter! I think this one will answer your last lingering questions! CatJerica, lol, I debated about the "later"…you'll see what I decided. :) (Have to save some things for the possible sequel!) Thank you! I've got some projects I need to work on and my family will hide my computer if I don't emerge into the real world for a while so I won't be posting for a little while, but will be back as soon as I can later this summer, either with a sequel or something new. In the meantime, I just finished a new video and am working on another one, so if you like vids, please check them out! (AliasFan-MutantKitty, so glad you liked them, thank you!) Thank you all so much for your interest and your support and encouragement! I appreciate you all so much!

_A/N II: Thank you so much to the following: Viviana, your emails and friendship mean so much to me, thank you so much for everything. Mari, once again this story would not exist if not for you. I cannot thank you enough for all the time you spent with me, brain-storming and sharing plot ideas and characters. This story is as much yours as it is mine. You are a true friend, thank you for being there. Rogue, your emails and beta help mean more than I can say. You are an amazing writer and person, and it is an honor to know you. Thank you! Audrey and Rachel, your emails and encouragement are always such a highlight. Thank you for everything! Blackpanther, I can always count on you for honest feedback, thank you! Fiery Feral, we made it through another story:)__ Can't wait to read your next one as well. Thank you so much! Redhead2, you have such a kind heart, and I thank you for sharing it with me! Mxfan214, your reviews are always so encouraging, thank you! Fire Feral, thank you so much for your support! AliasFan-MutantKitty, I love how you always take the time to see the details, it's so nice to know they're being noticed! Thank you! Mayra, thank you for asking questions and for sharing your amazing insight! Rain, from one writer to the other, thank you for noticing and understanding the subtle things. CatJerica, I love how you share your guesses and ask questions, it helps keep me on track with the plot:)__ Thank you! hi, thank you so much for so faithfully reviewing and sharing your thoughts! Saphire Ravven8, thank you for your words of wisdom and encouragement! Kerry, thank you for sharing your love of all things B/S! Meg, your reviews always made me smile, thank you! To all of you who took the time to leave such kind and thoughtful reviews: Jenn11, Donna Lynn, Cristina, Chris, Laura, Courtney, Rachel, Me, Anne, Jessica, SithelfJen, Kaela, Marie, Farah, hi again, goldilocks, ebony, EverlastingDynasty, sclub, AussieMXfan, x-Shalimar-x, Regan, Lisa, Nicole, Bren88, and to anyone kind enough to review this last chapter—Thank you all so much! _

Traveling Souls—Chapter Fifteen

Sanctuary was still and quiet, evening lights casting a soft glow throughout the mountain home as Adam slowly wandered around its vast halls, running his hands along the cool walls, slowly making rounds. Everything was as it should be. He felt like he could breathe again for the first time since they had all initially left. Every mission had its dangers, its risks; he knew that more than anyone. But this one had been seeped in the past, bringing up memories long buried, old fears clashing with overwhelming burden. It was with relief that he brought his team home again.

He was tired of holding his breath.

He took a breath now, but couldn't seem to find comfort in it. It had been too close. While they were all safe now, sleeping soundly in the calmness of Sanctuary, he was painfully aware of how easily they might have had a different end, a different path. And it would be his fault. He had kept some secrets to protect them; afraid the truth would distract their focus and make them an easier target for the enemy. He had kept some secrets because of the dangers of knowing the truth; afraid their lives would be at even greater risk, of the war that could wage if they were aware. And he had kept yet more secrets because he wanted to give them the gift of innocence for as long as possible, illusive though it may be.

Illusion.

Misdirection.

Truth inside a lie, masking truth.

It was because of duty he had deceived them the first time, and it was because of love that he continued to do so now.

He sighed, forehead pressing into the coolness of Sanctuary's strong wall. They were growing up before his eyes. He didn't know how much further he would be able to lead them. More than they knew, they were his life. The day would come when they would stand on their own, and he knew he would swell with pride to see it.

He was afraid of that day.

"Adam."

A soft-spoken whisper drew his attention, and he lifted his head, unable to resist the smile that spread across his face at the knowing look Shalimar was giving him, her small slippered foot tapping chastisingly against the floor.

She grunted at his smile, fully aware it didn't quite reach his eyes, of the inner guilt weighing it down. "What are you still doing up?" The admonishment in her tone was countered with the gentle hand she placed on his shoulder.

"I should be asking you the same," Adam lifted a brow, eyes flickering to his watch. "You should be sleeping; your body needs the rest."

"I'm fine." She shook her head at his protectiveness, at the way he smoothly avoided her question, letting it go for now.

"What can I do for you?" Concern flickered across Adam's face as a new thought crossed his mind. "Do you need me to get you something from the lab?"

"No," Shalimar was quick to reassure him. He had already dragged each of them into the lab for complete work-ups, it was the first thing he had insisted they do when they got back.

"You'll tell me if you have any more pain anywhere?" Adam took her hands in his, examining them once more. She had torn them badly on the rocks. "Your foot---"

"I'm fine, Adam." She smiled in tender exasperation, looking at him pointedly. "It wasn't pain that woke me up."

He smiled at the way she redirected the question back to him. She was learning too well. He released her hands, shrugging. "I was working. I'm sorry if I woke you."

"That's not what I meant." She came up alongside him as he started walking again. "You'd tell me if there was something wrong?"

"There's nothing to be concerned about," Adam took stock of each bedroom as they turned the corner. "I was just wrapping things up." Jesse and Emma's rooms were dark, doors closed, as was Shalimar's. His eyes hesitated on the pool of soft light spilling out from under Brennan's door. "How is he?"

"He's good, he's asleep" She set a hand on his arm at his quiet inquiry, hating the guilt she could feel in him. It had been without question she had forgiven him, that she had understood his reasons. He was family, that was the most important thing to her, no matter what he did. She nodded at the lit-up room as they passed it. "That's actually Alex, he's sleeping in Brennan's room, at least for tonight."

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask where Brennan was sleeping, but he abruptly changed his mind; he'd rather not hear the answer to that one aloud.

They walked in silence for a moment.

Shalimar hid a smile at the hint of awkwardness radiating from Adam, guessing his train of thoughts, remembering their last conversation together. "I'm not confused anymore, Adam."

He glanced down at her with something akin to pride and chagrin. "So you're happy with your decision?" He gestured for her to sit as they entered the rec room.

"Yeah," She sank into one of the overstuffed chairs, shifting and pulling a pillow out from under her, setting it in her lap. "I did what you suggested, I considered all the possibilities, and I'm sure that this is the right one." She smiled softly and it lit up her entire face. "I couldn't imagine anything different now."

"Then I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Adam." She met his gaze, grateful for his simple acceptance of the changes this mission had brought to their team. She knew it couldn't be easy for him, but he trusted their choices without question. She saw his eyes flicker silently back toward the bedrooms. "You should talk to him." Since they had gotten back, Brennan had been avoiding their leader, still too hurt and angry to deal with anything.

"In the morning," Adam nodded in agreement. "He needed some rest first. He's been through a lot."

"We all have." She tossed the pillow at him, standing up with a stretch, watching as he caught it with a smile. "Including you." She padded over to him, bending down to drop a kiss on his cheek. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Adam, you had your reasons. Brennan may not like it, but he does understand."

Adam stood as well, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "You should get some sleep."

She yawned, nodding, tightening the knot on her robe. "What about you?"

He smiled at her worry. "In a bit, I need to finish up some work first."

She frowned at him. "It wasn't too long ago you were unconscious, you need to get some rest as well."

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her brow. "Soon, I promise. I just want to finish a few things."

Her brow furrowed. "The disk and the research were all destroyed. What's left?"

"I don't know, maybe nothing. There's been some activity in the last few hours; I've found references to the existence of a list of names."

"Like the one mentioned on the disk?"

"Possibly." Adam shrugged. "Somehow, I don't think this will be the last we'll see of the research."

A shiver ran down her spine at the thought. Eckhart had already shown what he would do to get it. At what cost would it all end?

"Hey, I don't want you to worry about it." Adam was quick to reassure her. "We'll deal with it if needed. For now, you need to get some rest."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going." She chuckled wryly, turning away, pausing when another thought hit her. "Hey Adam?"

"Yes?" He looked up at her, returning the pillow to the chair.

"What about that precog, the one that gave the prophecy? Whatever happened to him?"

Adam grimaced slightly. "I've been tracking him in the database; the last known reference was that he teamed up with Ashlocke when he took over Genomex."

"He's a member of the Links?" Shalimar looked sickened at the thought. "Good thing his prophecies turned out to be harmless." She shook her head, padding back down the hallway.

Adam watched her disappear, face inscrutable.

He wasn't so sure about that.

Somehow she instinctively knew it was barely past dawn. A warm heavy leg rested across hers and a possessive arm cradled her close. A large hand was tangled in her hair and hot breath was heating her neck, just below her ear. Shalimar smiled. It had been without question that they would sleep in the same bed. After only a few nights of being together in the cave, they were already addicted to the feeling. It was amazing how much better they slept together than apart. And neither one was afraid to admit it. It was the next step that terrified her. There would be no going back.

Self consciousness had returned to her now that they were home again. It had seemed different in the cave, but here… She bit her lip, keeping her eyes closed when she felt him stir against her. There was the whisper of sheets as he came awake, the gentle intake of his breath when he realized where he was, and then his voice, rumbling in her ear as he whispered her name. She didn't move, couldn't move, luxuriating in the warmth of his body, shivering involuntarily when he pressed a kiss against her ear.

"Shal?"

He knew she was awake. No use prolonging it. She opened her eyes, surprised at the closeness of his face, smiling, inexplicably shy. Why was seeing him face to face in her own room suddenly so awkward?

"Hey," Brennan whispered, breaking her thoughts. "You're awake."

"Hey," She whispered back, tilting her head, looking down at him.

They were instantly aware of each other in a familiar way.

She smiled hesitantly, unsure where the shyness was coming from. They had slept close together in the cave, but something about being home and in a bed, _her _bed, made it seem more real. It was also the first time they were truly alone, she realized with a start. He was quiet, watching her, letting her process things. She smiled gratefully, reaching up to push the hair back from his forehead. When her fingertips touched his skin, the awkwardness vanished, and she lightly touched her other hand to his chest, unable to stop the satisfied grin from tugging on her mouth. She was in bed with Brennan.

"Good morning." He smiled back, nose nuzzling hers for a moment, head dipping to run a trail of kisses down her neck.

Her hands slipped into his hair when he began moving lower, feeling it brush and tease against her skin. She squirmed, laughing breathlessly. "Brennan, that tickles."

She knew she was grinning like a fool.

He lifted his head and grinned back, drawing a line of kisses along her collarbone, and then back up her neck to her lips. She kissed him back and it wasn't about fear or awkwardness; it was about what had been between them, what was between them still. The tenderness and sweetness, and the longing and tension that they'd never put into words.

He reached up, touching her cheek, smiling. "This isn't as weird as I thought it might be."

"What?"

"Us. In bed together."

She quirked a brow, teasing him. "You thought about it?"

"Maybe." His mouth twitched. "Did you?"

"Maybe."

He chuckled, playing with the tangled bits of hair framing her face, capturing her hands as her fingertips ran down his cheek, scraping against his stubble. He pressed a kiss to her knuckle. "Your skin's healed nicely."

"Yeah." She smiled as he gently rotated her hand, pressing his lips against the palm, heart skipping a beat. She dragged her free hand down the side of his neck, scraping his skin lightly, causing him to swallow convulsively. "And how's your back?"

"Uh…" Brennan suddenly found it difficult to focus as her hand continued moving. "It—it's good."

"That's good."

"Uh-huh."

Her palm stopped over his heart, feeling it pound beneath her fingers. Her tongue darted out, licking her lips, throat dry as his eyes dropped and landed on her mouth. Her own pulse slammed madly in reply, eyes falling shut as he watched her intently, head lowering slowly back down. His lips explored hers, gentle, soft, loving. She felt something inside her melt, responding more deeply. It felt strange and wonderful and crazy to be with him this way. Exciting and new because she'd never known him like this before, and warm and familiar because she'd known him for forever. Her hands found their way to his shoulders, kneading the muscles.

Brennan groaned her name, his controlled gentleness exploding, kissing her with more desperation. He rolled her, pressing his body along hers, cupping her head in both his hands, kissing her until they were both breathless. And then his mouth left hers again, wandering across her face, kissing her cheeks, her eyelids, her lashes. Her hands slid down his shoulders and over his back, lightly tracing the line of his spine, having a hard time breathing as he pulled back to look down at her, his heart in his eyes.

She couldn't get enough. Impatient, she tugged on his head, pulling his mouth back down to hers. His touch was electrical, searing her with tiny shivering jolts that ran down to her toes as they rolled again. His fingers combed through her hair, holding it back as she leaned down to press a kiss into his shoulder, opening his senses, wanting to imprint it all indelibly in his mind.

Shalimar brandished her teeth against his clavicle bone as his hands tightened in her hair, drowning in the taste of him, the feel of him.

He was here.

At last.

She smiled. It was about time.

Whatever had been keeping them apart all those years had disappeared. She could tell by his eyes he felt it too.

_You get it now._ _I love you. It's as simple as that._

He smiled back as if she'd said it aloud. A smile of wonderment and amazement that lit up his eyes and his face and sent a wave of warmth crashing through her. He smoothed her hair back, tucking it behind her ears, running a finger along the line of her forehead, tracing her eyebrows and then her nose. She leaned into his touch, kissing his finger as he traced her lips. His expression changed again as he twisted his hands back in her hair, guiding her down, lips tangling with hers.

"Brennan."

They sat bolt upright as Adam's voice sounded in their ears.

"Brennan, we need to talk."

She groaned, slamming back down onto the bed in disbelief. She was the one who told him he needed to talk to Brennan as soon as morning came. She groaned again as Brennan plopped back down beside her on his back. They lay side by side, breathing hard, hearts racing.

Adam called again, a tinge of impatience in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm coming." His voice wasn't quite steady when he finally managed to answer.

They lay in disbelieving silence for a moment.

"I don't know if I'm ready to face him, Shal."

"Just talk to him."

"I'd rather stay here."

She laughed, half in amusement and half in frustration. She felt his hand touch hers, then slide to link with her fingers. When she gently squeezed back, he rolled towards her and pressed his face into her shoulder.

She softly stroked his hair, already knowing what he was going to say.

_Later._

Yeah.

Brennan paused outside Adam's office, strangely nervous. He had been avoiding him since they got back, unsure where to even start. Between the dangers of the mission that still left his mouth dry when he thought about it, to the new relationship with Shalimar that left his gut twisting with fear and elation, to the shock of finding he had a brother, to the sharp betrayal of knowing Adam had known all along, he was a wreck. He hesitated in the shadow of the doorway, watching the older man as he paced the room. This was Adam, his mentor, so why couldn't he just talk to him? Trust. The answer came to him in a whisper of boiling emotions_. I trusted him_. He blew out his breath, beads of sweat dripping down his back despite his recent cold shower. Could he believe what Adam said? A wrench of fear struck him. Could he handle the consequences if he didn't? He watched silently as the older man paced, noticing for the first time the tired slump of his shoulders, the rumpled clothes indicating he hadn't slept. Belief. Trust. Fear. This man had saved him. This man had deceived him. The muscle of his jaw flexed, unresolved feelings, heart clenching with a mixture of anxiousness and longing. He wanted things to be right again. He wanted to trust in this family they had carved out together. He wanted to forget the confusion, the frustration. Damn it, he wanted to be back in bed with Shalimar. He took a step into the room, pausing in the doorway when Adam swung around and met him face to face. He knew he could see the anger and anguish reflected in his eyes, he couldn't hide it. Adam gestured for him to enter and sat on the edge of his desk, leaning forward and rubbing his face tiredly. Brennan sank into a nearby chair warily, eyes studying the other man's profile. It was so familiar to him, and yet, it was the face of a stranger. Exhaustion and defeat were etched into every line of his face. With a start, he noticed a few threads of gray hair at his temple.

Adam getting gray.

The sight hit Brennan harder than anything that had spilled out during his emotional tirade.

Jesse pulled his head out of the fridge, taking a swig from the orange juice bottle, almost choking in startled surprise when two hands suddenly reached out, grabbing his backside. He managed to swallow, eyes gleaming in understanding when a slim figure pressed against his back, voice giggling softly into his ear.

"Uh-huh," He caught her hands as they slid around his front, tugging on one arm and pulling her in front of him. "And what's gotten into you?" He couldn't help but laugh at Emma's infectious grin, setting the juice down with a deliberate hand when she quirked a teasing brow, stalking forward when she backed up a step, her back hitting the fridge. Jesse's smile widened, arms landing on either side of her, pinning her in. "Someone's feeling good today." He was relieved to see her smiling again. She had been so subdued the other day, and he hadn't been able to read her, eyes strangely distant. It had scared him more than he realized.

"I am," Her eyes twinkled up at him as he leaned down, giving her a warm kiss. "It's good to be back home," She sobered slightly, a flash of darkness in her eyes that disappeared before he could recognize it. "I just want things to go back to normal."

"Normal?" He raised his brows, arms brushing deliberately up and down her sides, cajoling a smile back to her face.

"Well, almost normal." The light was back in her eyes, and she pushed up on her toes, capturing his lips. "I think _some_ things were due for a change around here."

"Mmm, I like that." Jesse's hands landed on her hips, pulling her closer, lips following hers as she slowly edged sideways to the counter.

After a moment, she broke the kiss, flashing him a quick grin as one hand darted out, stealing the orange juice from the counter and ducking under his arm with a laugh.

"Oh I see how things are going to be," He shook his head, crossing his arms as she lifted the bottle with a taunting grin. Pulp sloshed merrily as she waved it around. "You realize I can't let you get away with the juice now, don't you?"

She smiled, eyes darting past his shoulder to the door. "Hey Shal, want some orange juice?"

"Oh yeah, like I'm really going to fall for that---Umphf!" Jesse's voice choked off with a startled yelp as another hand playfully slapped his backside. He rolled his eyes at the explosion of giggles as Shalimar sauntered past him.

"I'd love some." She flashed him a grin over her shoulder, stopping next to Emma by the fridge.

"Men," Emma gave a longsuffering sigh, "They just make it too easy."

Jesse rolled his eyes again at the fresh onslaught of laughter, pouting until Emma came back, wrapping her arms around his waist, hugging him. Her shoulders shook with laughter until he couldn't help but join in. With both hands, he framed her upturned face, pressing a warm kiss to her smiling mouth. Some things were new alright.

And some things never changed.

Shalimar was still chuckling to herself when she left the kitchen a little while later. While they had eaten breakfast together, they had made plans for a day of relaxation. After this last mission, they all deserved it. She was looking forward to a day spent with her family, without the worry or fear that had plagued them recently. There was still much unknown, still much to work out. She sighed as she remembered Adam's closed expression from last night or the look on Brennan's face when he had left to go meet with him. But no matter their problems, they were still a family. And that would keep them together. She lifted her chin. She would make sure it did. A niggling sense of worry pressed against the back of her mind, and she recognized it as fear. Fear her family might be too torn apart by secrets and anger, too damaged by stubborn emotion to forgive or understand.

They had been talking a long time.

She had to know what was going on. She turned the corner towards Adam's office, foot pausing mid-air at the sight before her, eyes unexpectedly misting. She blinked and eased back, fingers pressed to her mouth, surprised at the battery of emotion as she peered silently around the corner, inordinate relief washing giddily over her.

They were going to be alright.

Of course they were. She shook her head, swallowing tightly as she watched Brennan's broad frame pull back from the fatherly embrace, face strangely solemn as he held out a hand and Adam shook it. They exchanged a few more words, Brennan's head bobbing as he nodded along with Adam, and she strained forward, struggling to hear. A slight clearing of throat, and she froze, slowly lifting her eyes from the two men, meeting a set of brown ones across the adjacent hallway.

She wasn't the only one eavesdropping.

She grinned as Alex winked at her before stepping out and joining Brennan and Adam. She continued to watch as the three men talked, face alight as they chuckled, slapping shoulders and turning to walk away.

Right toward her.

With a small squeak, she ducked back around the corner and scurried away, unable to stop the wide smile from growing across her face.

Her family was back.

Emma sat with her photo album spread across her lap, carefully filing away her latest pictures. "Someday, you'll thank me for taking these," She laughed as Shalimar plopped down beside her with a bored groan, blowing grains of sand off the page as the wind blew through the trees, rippling the water. She turned her face up to the warm sunlight with a sigh. "This was a good idea." She squinted one eye back open to glance at the feral as she grunted beside her. "What?"

"Did I really agree that an entire day lounging on the beach would be fun?"

Emma had to laugh at Shalimar's exaggerated sigh of despair. "Three hours of doing nothing but lying in the sun starting to get to you, huh?"

Shalimar sat back up, resting her chin on her knees, wrinkling her nose. She could already feel the sunburn starting to develop, and she knew she would probably be freckled as well. "Somehow, this wasn't quite what I imagined."

Emma laughed again as Shalimar's eyes drifted, glaring over at the backs of the four male members of their teams.

They were studiously absorbed in a competitive game of touch football.

The first hour had been hilarious, Emma and Shalimar declining to join in and opting to relax in the sun instead, watching and laughing as the men ran back and forth. Evenly matched, they slipped and slided their way back and forth over the same stretch of beach, never quite able to accomplish much.

And then the powers began.

The second hour was equally amusing as fierce competition drove them to further and further desperation, neither side wanting to be the first to admit defeat.

And yet they still got nowhere, running aimlessly back and forth over the now well-trampled stretch of beach.

By the third hour, touch football had turned into tackle football and then into an all out power struggle, with Jesse massing just as Brennan rammed into him and Alex freezing Jesse as he tried to run a touchdown. The more the molecular pumped his legs, the more Alex concentrated on keeping him still, resulting in Jesse being suspended a few inches off the ground, legs frantically moving, face shocked and then determined and then resigned when Brennan and Adam couldn't stop laughing at the sight.

Shalimar snorted as Emma gleefully snapped a picture. She pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. "Come on," She suddenly brightened, grabbing Emma's hand, pulling her to her feet. "We can't let the boys have all the fun." She grinned back over her shoulder at Emma, eyes twinkling with mystery and a hint of challenge.

Emma couldn't help but grin back, despite the wriggle of apprehension running down her back. The last time she had seen that look she had ended up on the losing end of a bet. She pushed the thought aside. "What?" Her grin widened. "What are you thinking?"

The smell of barbeque hit them like a physical wall, comically bringing them to a dead halt mid-run.

The football fell from forgotten fingers with a large splat into the sand.

Alex's nose twitched as he sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?"

Brennan stomach growled in response. Suddenly, he was ravenously hungry and the smell… His mouth watered, and he licked his lips.

Jesse was already zipping away from them like a rabbit, Adam not more than four steps behind him. "I can smell it!" He bubbled, turning to face them without losing a step in his stride. "It smells like pizza! Can you smell it? It's heavenly!"

"It's steak!" Adam countered, mouth stretched in the widest grin they had ever seen from him as he broke into a jog. "Medium rare, oh, and potatoes, little baby red ones…"

Alex and Brennan exchanged glances, simultaneously taking off after them.

"Ohh, I'm so hungry!"

The four men stopped dead in the middle of the beach, pushing each other aside as they crowded around the little grill pit.

It was empty.

Immediately, Jesse's delighted face slipped into one of overwhelming disappointment. "Where's the pizza?"

A laugh came from across the barbeque pit.

Shalimar and Emma sat cross legged on one of the beach blankets, playing a card game.

"Is it time to eat already?" Emma fought to keep an innocent look on her face as Shalimar smirked behind her cards.

"But…but I smelled pizza. I know I did." Jesse stood with slumped shoulders. "I'm so hungry…"

Behind him, Brennan groaned, pressing a hand over his growling stomach. "It smelled so good."

"Emma…" Adam crossed his arms, the first to figure it out.

"What?" She calmly laid down a card, studiously ignoring the glare of four hunger-induced men.

"Do you have any idea how hungry I am now?" Jesse flounced down onto the blanket next to her with a pout.

She picked up a new card from the deck. "I hope so. I'm famished."

"Very funny." Brennan glowered as he sank down next to Shalimar, eyes drifting back to the cold pit. "This was your idea wasn't it?"

She tried to look offended, but failed, laughing outright instead.

"Someone should cook supper." Alex's voice was muffled as he spoke up from under the towel where he was scrubbing his sweat-soaked hair. "I vote for burgers." His tone took on a longing note. "Or fish."

"I volunteer Jesse and Brennan to do that," Shalimar stated matter-of-factly.

"I second that nomination," Emma supported with a mischievous grin.

"Nominees elected." Adam finalized, dusting sand from his hands with a flourish. He sat down in a nearby beach chair, picking up a book. "Let me know when it's ready."

Alex dropped his towel, eyeing Shalimar and Emma with an evil grin. He took a deliberate step toward them.

"Oh no you don't!" With a shriek, the girls were off, cards forgotten, kicking up sand in Jesse and Brennan's face as they tore down the beach, Alex fast on their heels.

Jesse crossed his arms defiantly. "What just happened, Brennan?"

"I think we just got suckered into cooking." He leaned back and stared morosely at the cold fire pit.

Jesse huffed, peering into the cooler sitting by the beach blanket, making a face at the frozen meat stacked inside. He slammed the lid shut, staggering under its weight as he picked it up, hauling it closer to the grill. "Remind me again why we're letting them do this?"

"I don't know, man," Brennan laughed, slapping his shoulder. "Either we're crazy or it must be love."

Jesse dropped the cooler with a large thud. Fine white sand billowed up in his face, stinging his eyes. "I vote for crazy."

Brennan's laugh rolled over the beach, mingling with the wind.

Behind his book, Adam grinned.

Shalimar pounded down the beach, flashing past flowering bougainvilleas and down the open sand. The clear, cool air filled her lungs and the sharp smell of salt from the ebbed tide rose to meet her with a slap against her bare feet. She heard sploshing noises behind her and knew Alex was right on her tail. Without breaking stride, she flung her shirt over her head, laughing as it whipped back to hit Alex in the face. She flashed him a grin as he roared, ripping it away, laughing as Emma did a little hopping dance beside her as she kicked off her skirt. Stripped down to their swimsuits, they plunged into rippling water, shrieking at its coolness.

Up at the barbeque pit, Brennan and Jesse exchanged amused smiles as another larger splash came from the vicinity of the water, followed by another. Both were followed by peals of female laughter.

"Get 'em, Alex!" Brennan couldn't help but goad them on as he slapped a slimy piece of frozen fish on the grill. It hissed and spat back at him as he shoved it closer to the coals. In response, he heard a rolling laugh that he knew was Shalimar's, lighter and more bubbly than anything he'd heard from her in a days. Another shriek of laughter and he couldn't resist, dropping the tines and strolling down to the edge of the water.

"Come on in, Brennan! The water's cold, but calm!"

He found her treading water, grinning from ear to ear, having the time of her life. Brennan found himself grinning back, admiring the way the water shimmered off her bare arm as she waved at him. He waved back, shaking his head as she turned to Emma and gave her a playful slap of water. Emma returned it, and instantly a water fight broke out, their laughter and splashing filling the air around them.

"Hey, Brennan! Your fish is burning!"

Brennan gave her a final wave as he turned back toward the grill, deciding with a small grin that he'd rather watch the water fight than participate in it anyway.

Within an hour, the smell of food had lured them all back. Now that he and Jesse had gotten the hang of it, Brennan was enjoying manning the grill. There were definite benefits to being the cook, he decided with an evil grin as he and Jesse snuck yet another bite of tenderly seasoned fish, watching as the others impatiently gathered hungrily around the makeshift table Jesse had set.

Shalimar was slouched low on the sand on the other side of Adam's chair, talking quietly with Alex. Whatever they were talking about had her smiling, and she laughed quietly as Alex took over the conversation again. The two of them looked as if they'd been friends for years, shoulder to shoulder, comfortable in their own little bubble. Brennan didn't mind being left out at all. He watched Shalimar with a fond smile, content to see her so happy. Occasionally, her eyes sought Brennan's, watching him put pieces of meat on the grill. The delicious smell would catch her nose and make her stomach growl. She made a face at Brennan as he shoved a juicy hunk into his mouth with a wink. He found himself laughing again.

Half an hour later, the food was finally ready. Jesse stood by the blanket, pouring wine and handing glasses to Adam and Emma. Alex was tugging a sweatshirt over his damp head, sitting down with all the gusto of a starving man. Brennan cranked his head, looking for Shalimar, spotting her lying on a beach towel, enjoying the last bits of streaming sun. The slim line of her body was accentuated by the brilliance of the day, and his eyes followed the smooth curves of her body, imagining the taste of her skin.

"She sleeping?" Jesse set the last plate down, startling Brennan out of his daydream. "You want me to wake her?"

"I got her." Brennan gestured for them to begin eating, taking his time walking toward her, enjoying the cooling sand between his toes and the way the warm breeze played through her hair. The sunset slipped into a watery horizon, leaving only a thin ribbon of orange to highlight the inky blue sky.

It was a soft spring evening. A spray mist hung over the water, dimly glowing in the setting sun. The smell of salt and wet sand wrapped around her. She took a deep breath and it filled her lungs. She loved it here. She could smell him, she realized. The lingering masculine aroma floating on the evening air, mingling with the fragrance of the mesquite from the fire, the smell of grilled fish, and the slight cinnamon smell of burning candles. For a few minutes, Shalimar let her eyes half-close as she watched him approach out of the corner of her eye, aware of the electric charge crackling through the air between them.

As if sensing her eyes, he turned his gaze away from the water and back to her. He joined her on the towel, edging closer until he was in her space. His presence filled her nose. His scent, his warmth, she sat up, edging even closer, watching as he gently lifted the ends of her hair and let them drift through his fingers, then let his hand drop. His eyes rose to meet hers again, and the look in them raised the hairs on the back of her neck.

"Hi," She whispered in greeting, nudging his shoulder with hers.

He didn't answer, but kept looking at her. She had the odd feeling he was memorizing her face. His eyes dropped to her mouth. She waited, sure he would kiss her, but he didn't. Instead his hand lifted and touched her face, his fingertips light on her cheekbone.

"Freckles," He finally whispered, a smile in his voice.

She smiled back, a little sheepishly. "Yeah."

He smoothed his fingers across the freckles on either cheekbone, then slipped his hand into her hair, cupping the nape of her neck, gently stroking her earlobe with his thumb. She raised her hand to cover his, tilting her head into his palm.

"Are you as hungry as I am?" His voice had taken on a husky timbre. He hadn't meant anything suggestive, but she laughed at the way his question came out. He smiled back, and they stared at each other. The moment stretched. His eyes were so dark, so unreadable, so familiar. With the slightest pressure on the back of her neck, he drew her up with him, fingers spreading out over her scalp as he tucked her head under his chin. His other arm slipped around her, cradling her against his chest.

After a moment, he turned them, walking them back toward the others. His hold loosened, but he caught up her hand, splaying her fingers between his as they approached.

They tore into their dinner with pleasure. The fish was delicious, so were the side dishes they'd prepared. Voices murmured, laughter loud as they ate ravenously. Emma sighed in contentment, letting the sound wash over her senses. Beside her, Jesse reached to pick up his wine, his elbow touching hers. The low table was comfortable for her, but Jesse didn't seem to know where to put his feet and the few inches between his thigh and hers seemed to lessen every time he shifted restlessly. She smiled at him in amusement.

"Adam," Alex broke the comfortable silence, looking down when the others recognized his change of tone and watched him expectantly. "Have you heard from any of your contacts on Eckhart's possible location?"

"Nothing yet." Adam paused to take a bit of corn. "Even before this last mission, he's been pretty quiet."

"I wish we could have heard the rest of Dr. Shaw's messages on the disk." Alex chewed his lower lip, deep in thought. "Maybe we could have learned more."

Brennan exchanged glances with Shalimar, unsure where Alex was going. "What do you mean?"

Alex shrugged, not making eye contact. "I don't know, I just can't help but wonder if we could have learned more about those experiments or what exactly happened in that facility all those years ago."

"What are you thinking?" Emma's brow furrowed as she stared at Alex, confused by the feelings he wasn't fully blocking from her.

"I was just thinking about Michael."

"What about him?" Emma's voice went flat at the mention of his name, remembering all he had done to her.

Jesse felt the shiver run through her, and squeezed her hand. "It's ok, honey."

She smiled appreciatively at him, turning back to Alex as he answered her question.

Brennan leaned in close to Shalimar. "How come you never call me honey?"

Shalimar bit back a smile, dropping one hand to his thigh, the tips of her fingers pressing lightly.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Brennan swallow, hard.

She pressed a little harder, not needing to hear his soft intake of breath to know his response.

"Actually," Adam picked up the conversation. "I think Alex may be onto something. I suspect Michael may have been one of the results of the failed experiments. We all saw the way he was, and he was beyond anything we've ever seen before."

_Not quite human_. The thought struck Shalimar, and she shivered, grateful he couldn't hurt any of them ever again. Brennan's hand landed on top of hers, and she knew he was thinking the same. She turned her gaze back to Alex, sudden unease striking her at his expression. He looked…dangerous. "Alex?"

His face cleared at her soft inquiry, smoothing into calm lines. "Let's change the conversation, huh?" His eyes took on a slightly evil gleam. "I seem to remember Jesse mentioning something about baby stories?"

"Uh, no, that's ok." Brennan hastily interrupted as Adam opened his mouth, causing the others to laugh.

Shalimar swirled her wine around in her glass, staring down at it. She laughed with the others, but watched Alex out of the corner of her eye.

He caught her gaze, smiling back, but it didn't reassure her. "I'll light a fire for us," He stood, moving to where Brennan and Jesse had stacked firewood earlier. In a short amount of time, he had a little fire going. They settled around the small fire, sipping their wine in comfortable silence. The wood was slightly damp, making hissing noises as it heated and expanded, crackling as it burned, sending the sharp smell of mesquite into the air to mix with the heavier scents of the flowers and water.

Shalimar took another sip of wine, finding herself staring at the fascinating play of the firelight on the golden hairs of Brennan's wrist and tried to concentrate on the uncertain vibe she was picking up from Alex. The fire slid lovely warm fingers of light over the skin of Brennan's face and arms. She inched a little closer, reaching out to trace their patterns on his wrist with her fingertip. He was watching her intently, and she shivered a little. It was chilly with the sun down, and the dampness was settling on her skin. Brennan felt it, leaning forward to push another log onto the fireplace. For an instant, the fire glowed golden around his face and hair. Silhouetting him. The line of his cheek…his mouth… Her own mouth went suddenly dry. She took a sip, pulling her gaze away from his lips and looked up at the moon. The water view with the moon was breathtaking, the water dark and mysterious as waves lapped softly in the distance. Dark and mysterious. She risked another glance at Alex. He was watching the flames too. He looked at her sadly, and her heart skipped a beat_. He was saying good-bye_. She shook her head mutely, eyes brimming up with tears.

In the darkness, Brennan couldn't see her, but he picked up on the vibe between them. "Ok, now what?"

Alex sighed, "I'm sorry, Shal, but I have to."

"What?" Brennan's voice rose as he caught the reflection of Shalimar's tears. He stood to his feet, pulling her up with him protectively.

Alex looked away, shaking his head.

The others stopped talking, staring at them.

"He's leaving." Emma finally spoke for them.

"What?" Brennan blinked. He hadn't been expecting that. "Why?" Firewood popped loudly, and he flinched.

"I have to, Brennan." Alex had stood by now as well. "This isn't over for me, not yet. I have to keep looking for Eckhart."

"No, it's too dangerous." Brennan shook his head, "Stay here, and we can look together."

Alex smiled wistfully. "I wish I could, Brennan. But the team has other responsibilities."

"We can help you." Adam came up behind Alex, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks, Adam." Alex smiled gratefully at the older man. "But I need to do this alone. I don't know if I can explain, but I'm connected to him. As much as I hate him, I feel like I'm connected to him." He paused, meeting all of their quiet gazes. "The bastard raised me, used me and countless others. I can't stop until he is brought to an end. I remember hearing screams as a child, I have to wonder if it was from those murdered people in the caves. I have to do this, I need to do this, it's like I was meant to."

Adam stared hard at him for a long moment, firelight casting them in eerie shadow. Finally he nodded, holding out his hand. "You'll let us know if you need anything."

"Yes, thank you." Alex shook his hand, ignoring Brennan's protest. He moved quietly to Jesse and then to Emma saying good-bye to them as well.

"No," Brennan shook his head more firmly as Alex approached him next. "I don't like this."

Alex stopped in front of Shalimar, glancing between her and Brennan as they stood side by side. He smiled, taking her hands in his. "I've had a hard life, Shal. If not for you, I fear I would have succumbed to the darkness long ago. You saved me back then you know."

She felt the tears again, welling up from her throat to burn in the back of her nose, and she bit her lip hard to stop them. She wouldn't cry in front of him. She nodded. "You saved me too," She managed, "I was…I still…" She shook her head and her eyes filled with tears despite her efforts to hold them back.

"Hey, hey," Alex lifted a hand to frame her face. "I didn't mean to make you cry. You're going to make me cry too." He tried to rub the tears away with his thumb, but it only make her cry harder. She bit her lip, tears running down her cheeks.

He pulled her into a hug, whispering and she nodded against his shoulder, clenching to his shirt for a moment before taking a shuddering breath and letting him go. She took a step back, lifting her chin and smiling at him, mouth trembling.

Alex smiled back, holding her gaze for a moment before turning his eyes to Brennan, who stood stoically waiting. They stared at one another until Alex held out a hand. Brennan stared at it for a moment before slowly lifting his own. Their hands clasped in a strong, firm grip, and then they were hugging.

"Take care of her." Alex's voice was choked as he pulled away.

Brennan roughly cleared his throat. "You'll let us know when you get somewhere?"

Alex blinked rapidly, looking away over the dark water. "You got it."

He left without another word.

They watched him leave. Shalimar slid her arms around Brennan to rest on his back and rubbed her cheek against the rough cotton of his sweatshirt. She buried her nose against him and took a breath.

Suddenly his arms tightened around her and he was hugging her hard. She hugged him back, just as hard. His arms were so tight she could barely breathe, but she didn't care. She felt him rub his face against her hair.

"I love you," He whispered, very softly.

"I love you too," She whispered back, burrowing more closely into him, opening her mouth against the cotton, breathing in his warmth.

"Let's ah, let's walk." Brennan cleared his throat, pulling her along with him as he turned away from the firelight. When they had wandered far away enough, Brennan stopped, looking out over the water.

Beside him, Shalimar inhaled a lung-full of salty air. Her eyes were wide and moist. "He'll be ok, he's strong."

Brennan nodded, scissoring his lower lip between his upper teeth. "I know."

She continued, wanting to reassure him. "He does have four mutant types after all."

"Three." His eyes eased back to hers, almost hesitantly, and he examined her surprised face. "Come here, you're freezing." Before she quite realized what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close, rubbing his hands over her arms and shoulders to warm her.

_Three?_ She put her hands against his stomach and pulled a little against him. "Brennan…"

"I was trying to figure out how to tell you," He said softly.

She relaxed a little, shutting her eyes and breathing in his smell, waiting.

His hands continued rubbing gently over her shoulders and arms, chasing away the chill. "Adam told me this morning. Apparently together we represent all four mutant types, but for me, one is dormant."

"You're feral as well." She was quiet, listening as his heart pick up a beat.

"Not really." Brennan corrected, "Adam says the feral genes are dormant, that they give me some natural strength and agility at most."

She moved suddenly, pulling away to meet his dark eyes. It was chilly away from his body. She didn't know what to say, but somehow it all made sense. Her lips curled slightly at the possibilities.

He chuckled softly at her look, sliding his arm around her shoulders. She slipped back into his warmth, tucking her arm around his waist as they continued walking.

They walked without talking, the only sound the muffled rush of the surf as they turned around, heading back toward the others.

"I told him, Shal, about the mists."

He was full of surprises. She glanced over at him, trying to read his expression. "What did he say?"

His face twisted into a smile. "He still insists everything that happened with the mists is all scientifically explainable."

She had to smile at that, knowing Adam and the nature of his beliefs. She was quiet a moment, watching their footsteps in the sand as they walked back over them. "And you? What do you believe?" Brennan hesitated. He was looking down at their prints too. "I don't know if we'll ever really know for sure what it was that we saw."

She raised her eyebrows at him.

Wordlessly, he shook his head, and his eyes dropped to her mouth. He raised his hand and gently stroked the side of her face. "Shal," He whispered, his eyes holding hers, mouth working noiselessly. His eyes, fives inches from her pinned her with a look so full of a complicated mix of emotions, of anxiousness, and yearning, and heat…

His eyes.

Filled with intense gentle love.

She stared into them solemnly. She should have known.

She nodded, and she let it go.

She lifted her own hand, softly touching his face, cupping his cheek and stroking the line his closed lashes made against his cheekbone with her thumb. She leaned forward slowly and pressed her lips against his before pulling away, heading back down the beach. He made a grab for her and caught her by the hand, linking their fingers together, letting her draw him along with her as she began walking again.

"Traveling souls."

The words were so soft, she might have only imagined them. She glanced back over her shoulder at Brennan, and he tightened his hold on her fingers. Her eyes drifted back to their footprints, partially erased by rolling waves, slowly washing away their path, making way for a new one. _Traveling souls_. That's what it was all really about. The universe had more than one road, more than one fate. It was up to them to make their own choice, to choose their own road. Their souls had connected while traveling this journey. _With each other and maybe_, she thought as she glanced over at Brennan's shadowed face,_ just_ _maybe even with others_.

She paused, smiling as cold water rippled over her bare feet, leaving sand between her toes. Beside her, Brennan watched as well, and understood.

She stayed where she was, one arm around Brennan, watching the waves roll over their toes, growing breathless at the coldness. It made her feel alive. She felt him lean closer, his breath warm across her mouth. Then she felt his lips press the gentlest, softest kiss imaginable on the inner corner of her closed eyelid. She reached up for him, and he kissed her again.

He was getting good at kissing her. The way her lips moved against his was quickly becoming addictive, as was the flutter at the base of his stomach when she pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. And how it took her a moment after the kiss ended for her to collect herself enough to talk again.

He loved that.

She laughed giddily until he pressed his mouth against hers again.

Home.

The firelight was low, crackling warmly when they returned to their family. Emma was sleeping in Jesse's arms, nose pushed into his shoulder, stirring slightly when Jesse lifted his head to smile, welcoming them back. She muttered something in her sleep, and he grinned, pressing a long kiss into her red hair, glowing like a sunburst in the reflected light. Adam had gone back to reading, smiling at them over the top of his book as they settled back down by the fire. Brennan sat down first, and Shalimar climbed into his lap, leaning back on his chest. As she settled against him, her weight brought with it a familiar warmth, and he pulled her a little closer. Her head fit snugly into the crock of his elbow, and he tenderly kissed her forehead as her eyes fell shut, sleeping in his arms. It wasn't before long that her eyes darted under her closed lids, her lips curving into a smile as she curled in more tightly against him. She was dreaming. The thought made him smile. They were back to where it had first started, that night when she had held him after his dream.

Only this time, it was peaceful.

Brennan tenderly kissed her forehead. "Dream in sunlight, Shal."

His whispered words touched her, and she smiled, hearing him even in sleep, knowing the moment he believed, heart and mind racing toward new possibilities. He lifted their twined fingers and pressed a kiss against her knuckles. They had undergone much on this journey of discovery together, only to learn their choice had already been made. It had been made long ago when something within one recognized the other. They were connected, and they shared the same road.

Firelight winked and wind stirred, catching up long strands of her hair until it wrapped around them both in a golden halo. Light mists moved across the water, rippling the calm surface in a steady drone until Brennan fell asleep as well, forehead coming to rest against hers, moonlight bathing them in a gentle glow.

And in his dreams, he found the other half of their combined soul.

The End!

_"To undergo much, tramps of days, rests of nights…to look up and down no road but it stretches and waits for you…to take your lover on the road with you…to know the universe itself as a road—as many roads—as road for traveling souls_." _--Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass_


End file.
